ã€ŠRebirth Of The General&#x27;s Granddaughterã€‹


 Chapter 1: Poisonous Plot

    <h4>Chapter 1: Poisonous Plot</h4>

    Like every usual day, after Zi You went to greet her mother-inw, Old Lady Chen, she proceeded to the herb garden to tend and water her nts. She was in a daze as she looked at the field of green and purple nts.

    Zi You has always wondered naively that if dabbled in medicine, could she have prevented her second uncle and grandfather from falling ill? If so, would they still be alive?

    If they were alive, even if she was divorced by the duke, at least there will still be a home that she could return back to. It would definitely be better than her current predicament. Under the influence of her stepmother, her father called her shameless and used her of seducing her father-inw. He even resorted to threatening her, forbidding her from returning home, fearing that she would disgrace him.

    When Zi You thought of her grandfather whom she had always been close to, her second uncle who was like a father figure in her life and her bedridden second aunt, she could not help but be enveloped in sadness. So much so that she started crying.

    ¡°Mdy...Mdy...¡± At this moment, a maidservant dressed in yellow panically ran towards her and said ¡°Bad news. A moment ago, Mistress Lan Xuan wasining of stomach pain, after the imperial doctor diagnosed her, he said that her anti-abortifacient medicinal soup wasced with a miscarriage inducing agent. Mistress Lan Xuan¡¯s maidservant Qiao¡¯er said that earlier on, Yan Hong(another maidservant) had gone to the ce where the medicine was brewed and was caught red-handed by the duke. Yan Hong has already confessed. She said that it was under Mdy¡¯s order that sheced the medicine with the miscarriage inducing drug.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Zi You let out a deep sigh. ¡°Oh. It seems like they are not going to let me off the hook till I give up my position of the firstdy.¡±

    (TL: Zi You is the legal/first wife of the duke. Mistress Lan Xuan is the second wife)

    What¡¯s even more hateful is that Mistress Lan Xuan happens to be her best friend and rtive. After Zi You married the duke for only half a year, her grandfather-Great Yan¡¯s Old General Zheng Hao, Second Uncle-Great Yan¡¯s Second General Mu Ying Yi, both died from an illness while fighting a rebellion in Nanjiang. She was devastated and on top of that, 3 months pregnant. It was a time when she needed someone there for her. This Yu Lan Xuan, under the arrangement of Zi You¡¯s stepmother, Wang Yi Ping, entered the duke¡¯s residence under the pretense of caring for her. In no time, this woman got involved with her husband.

    As Zi You thought of her stepmother and ¡°best friend¡±, she could not help butment that she was too soft-hearted and naive.

    Lan Xuan was not only her stepmother¡¯s niece but also her ¡°best friend¡±. This woman was extremely simr to her stepmother Yi Ping, a venomous snake. She treated such people as her precious kin and heeded their every advice.

    When the Duke and Lan Xuan¡¯s affair broke out, her stepmother and Lan Xuan knelt before her. They begged and asked for her agreement in order to make Lan Xuan the Duke¡¯s second legal wife (have the same status as her). Unable to bear seeing her best friend cry, she actually agreed to it.

    This was equivalent to inviting a wolf into your home! On the surface, Lan Xuan was very respectful to her. However, once her grandfather and second uncle passed on, Lan Xuan revealed her fangs. Not only did Lan Xuan backstabbed her, she was constantly badmouthing her in front of the duke. Her mother-inw, Old Lady Chen was also finding every opportunity to make things difficult for her.

    Especially after this bitch got pregnant, she was unhappy being the second legal wife. She exhausted all means to rob Zi You of the position of first legal wife.

    What about Old Lady Chen? When Zi You¡¯s grandfather was alive, she never dared to bully Zi You. However, once her grandfather had died she began revealing her true colors. There was a period of time Zi You took care of her father-inw when he fell sick. She did that because he treated her well.

    However under the influence of Lan Xuan, Old Lady Chen starting doubting that Zi You had seduced her husband. She might even be convinced that Zi You¡¯s unborn child belongs to her father-inw!

 Chapter 2: Poisonous Plot

    <h4>Chapter 2: Poisonous Plot</h4>

    Such a venomous bitch! After listening to what Lan Xuan said, the mother-inw who didn¡¯t like Zi You from the start hated her even more. Old Lady Chen turned a blind eye to the actions of her son. Not only did she not try to rectify his wrongdoings, she even encouraged her son¡¯s uneptable behaviour.£¬

    Zi You looked into the sky and let out a sigh. Before she could exit her garden, her husband, Hong Xiang barged in with a group of men. He shouted ¡°uproot every single one of these poisonous nts! Do not leave any behind.¡±

    These nts were the result of Zi You¡¯s blood, sweat and tears. Without these nts apanying her, her life was unbearable. Without thinking, she came before Zhao Hong Xiang and begged ¡°please don¡¯t...¡±

    Before Zi You could finish her sentence, she was given a kick by Hong Xiang and fell into the fields. Thereafter, he proceeded to grab her by the hair and ¡°bestowed¡± upon her numerous ps to the face. He scolded ¡°slut! How dare you harm Lan Xuan and our unborn son, even if i killed you, you deserved it.¡±

    Hong Xiang dabbled in martial arts and a weak woman like Zi You was not his match. In no time, her face was full of ck and blue bruises, even a few of her tooth were missing.

    Zi You knew that Hong Xiang wanted her dead. She was already six months pregnant and he could still bear to hit her so viciously. From this, one could tell how cruel he was.

    Zi You used all her strength and grabbed onto his thigh.

    With tears streaming down her face, she cried ¡°I¡¯m innocent! I didn¡¯t poison anyone. Hong Xiang I¡¯m pregnant with your child are you really so cruel that you¡¯ll harm your child? You ungrateful bastard! Have you forgotten that when you contracted an unknown disease and nobody wanted to be near you, I cared for you for eleven days straight before you recovered. You were only able to attain your position due me who begged my grandfather for one day and night, forcing him to mention you in front of His Majesty. Because of you, my grandfather ignored me for half a year and forbid me from going home. Without me and my grandfather, you would have already fallen from your position. What did you promise me? You said that if you ever let me down, you would face retribution! And now? You would rather believe what Lan Xuan tells you? I curse the both of you!¡±

    After Zi You was done speaking, it triggered Hong Xiang¡¯s evil nature.

    Hong Xiang knew in his heart that the general looked down on him. Without the backing of the general and his household, he may not have inherited the position. Without the general he would definitely not get promoted. Without Zi You¡¯s care, he may have died a month after their wedding due to the disease he contracted.

    However, Hong Xiang thought that as his wife, it was Zi You¡¯s duty to do everything for him. She had no right to act like his benefactor to demand anything. It was unforgivable that she was even bringing up the old times to mock and ridicule how useless and ungrateful he was.

    Hong Xiang was infuriated. Without lifting a finger, he pointed to one of his servants andmanded ¡°Drag this woman away and beat her to death!¡±

    At this moment, the butler could no longer bear seeing what was happening. He said ¡°Please spare mdy! Master, mdy is your first legal wife. If she died, the authorities will definitely look into this matter. Besides she is already six months pregnant are we going to dispose of little master together with her?¡±

    Trantor note: I apologize for the dy. Had the chapter ready a few days ago... but i spent too much time shopping online(Single¡¯s days) so here¡¯s the chapter for the week. I might upload a extra chapter aspensation for theing week.

 Chapter 3: Poisonous Plot

    <h4>Chapter 3: Poisonous Plot</h4>

    Hearing what the butler said, Zi You mustered all her strength and said weakly ¡°just divorce me...return my dowry...and I¡¯ll give up my position as your first legal wife...¡±

    Before Zi You could end her sentence, she fainted.

    What a pity, even after she fainted, he had no intentions of letting her go. Hong Xiang got his men to drag her into the storage room while he ran to Lan Xuan to discuss their next move. ¡°That woman wants you to divorce her but are you really going to watch her bring the unborn child away?¡± said Lan Xuan. ¡°Why don¡¯t I divorce her and return her dowry after the child is born?¡± replied Hong Xiang.

    As soon as this sentence entered Lan Xuan¡¯s ear, she leaned onto Hong Xiang with her chest and acted all coy, saying ¡°Is duke getting soft hearted? When that child grows up and learns that you treated his mother so poorly, isn¡¯t he going to hate you? Besides this child might not even belong to you. Moreover, that woman¡¯s dowry is a massive sum of sixty thousand silver tales. That money will allow us to enjoy life for several years. Even if you divorced her, she could live freely with this money outside the manor and maybe even find some other guys for herself! She is definitely going to make you wear a green hat. Speaking of which, our son on the other hand definitely belongs to you.¡±

    Malicious! Listening to Lan Xuan made Hong Xiang think of his father. While his father was alive, he had already suspected that Zi You of having an illicit affair with his father. With her ¡®track record¡¯, Hong Xiang couldn¡¯t imagine what Zi You would do with her dowry after their divorce.

    Zhao Hong Xiang¡¯s eye emitted a green glint as he grinded his teeth ¡°A great men has to be ruthless! Tell me how should we get rid of her?¡±

    Lan Xuan thought about it and replied ¡°Let¡¯s just say she was caught cheating with a servant and was too ashamed thus she hanged herself.¡±

    Lan Xuan had a twisted look on her face as she said this.

    Lan Xuan thought to herself ¡°Bitch don¡¯t me me for being cruel. Who told you to block my path? As the saying goes, heavens destroy those who don¡¯t look out for themselves. For the happiness of me and my child, both you and your child must die!¡±

    Since Lan Xuan had her back facing Hong Xiang, he did not have the chance to look at her twisted and evil face. However, even if he did manage to see it, he would still think that it looks beautiful.

    Otherwise why would people say birds of the same feather flock together?

    ¡°What should we tell her father if he came asking for an exnation?¡±

    Afterall, Zi You is the granddaughter of the Old General and this made Hong Xiang feel fear.

    Lan Xuanughed ¡°Rx, my aunt will help us. Her family will nevere knocking on our door. Even if they did, don¡¯t forget that you now work for the emperor. We have nothing to fear. Besides, who would suspect that you would forsake your child?¡±

    Hong Xiang was assured. He nodded his head proudly. His eyes were akin to a beast, fierce and cruel.

    When night fell, a thunderstorm came. It was first the wind picking up speed followed by the lightning shing across the sky. ¡°Boom!¡± a deafening thunder sounded. That sound threatened to shatter the eardrums of all living beings, as if it was going to tear apart this ugly world.This was followed by a heavy rain.

    Zi You was left dying on the ground of the storage room. She was awakened by the paining from her abdomen. Not having eaten for an entire day and subjected to the cold and wet environment in the storage room, she developed a fever.

    Zi You felt her body burning, her throat and face hurt so much that she could not even open her mouth.

 Chapter 4: Night of Sin

    <h4>Chapter 4: Night of Sin</h4>

    Meanwhile, in the storage room, Zi You was suffering from dehydration but she no longer had strength to call for anyone, much less the strength to stand and walk out of the storage room.

    She attempted to crawl to the exit of the storage room but the acute pain she felt in her ribs and abdomen almost caused her to faint. She knew that her rib bone was broken, it was broken by Hong Xiang¡¯s kick.

    Also, she might not be able to keep her unborn child as she felt a wet patch on her pants.

    Tragic! The granddaughter of the great old general, the descendant of Goddess Dumoli is now reduced to a state where she¡¯s being beaten by mere mortals. As Zi You looked out of the window, she felt like crying but had no tears left.

    When Zi You thought that the heavens had forsaken her, Hong Xiang and Lan Xuan barged into the storage room with their trusted servants. The worst had yet toe.

    Zi You lifted her head and looked at her ¡®husband¡¯ and ¡®best friend¡¯. ¡°Why did you all treat me as such? I¡¯ve never done anything to let the both of you down.¡±

    Lan Xuan replied ¡°My dear sister, who told you to block my path? Who told you to upy what was rightfully mine? Your man, your dowry, your everything belongs to me!¡±

    With bloodshot eyes, Hong Xiang bit his tooth and said clearly ¡± Don¡¯t me me, when you¡¯re alive, you¡¯re part of the Zhao family, even when you die, you will remain a ghost of the Zhao family. I will not allow myself to be mocked by the world because of you. Instead of living so miserably, why not die early and be reincarnated early? Xuan¡¯er has said that your dowry consist sixty thousand silver tales, I can¡¯t let you take it away, so.... why don¡¯t you... GO TO HELL.¡±

    Hong Xiang literally screamed while he said thest sentence. His crazed look and the lightning in the background made him look like a man-eating demon from hell.

    Hong Xiang took out a rope, looped it onto Zi You¡¯s neck and shouted at his shivering servant, Cheng Cai ¡°Damn servant! What are you waiting for? Quickly strangle her!¡±

    Not daring to disobey Hong Xiang, Cheng Cai grabbed onto the other end of the rope and started pulling. At the same time, they hung Zi You to the ceiling.

    Zi You was shedding blood tears, and it dripped onto Hong Xiang¡¯s arm. At herst moment, she looked at this wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing(Hong Xiang), stuck out her tongue, and croaked ¡°even if I be a ghost, I will never let a single one of you go! If there¡¯s a next life, I swear I will get my revenge!¡±

    The thunderstorm continued on...

    The next day, the general¡¯s household received news of Zi Youmitting suicide. Reason being she was caught cheating with a servant and in a fit of embarrassment, she choose to hung herself, ending her life.

    Zi You¡¯s second aunt who¡¯s health has been deteriorating died soon after receiving the news. Her second aunt could not handle her kin dying one after another. When she passed away, she left three of her young children behind.

    Zi You¡¯s father who initially had ns to investigate this matter was talked into staying out of it by Zi You¡¯s stepmother.

    ¡°Master, Zi You had been reckless and unvirtuous while she was alive, rumors about her and her father inw are enough to fill entire streets. Now that she has passed on, what¡¯s the point of investigating further? Instead, our best course of action is to minimize the damage to our reputation and beg the duke¡¯s family to sweep this incident under the carpet!¡± said Zi You¡¯s stepmother.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Zi You¡¯s father shouted as he stomped his feet. After a long sigh, he said ¡°This horrible daughter! If I had known she would be such a shameless woman, I would have strangled her in the cradle!¡±

 Chapter 5: Rebirth

    <h4>Chapter 5: Rebirth</h4>

    Immediately after Zi You¡¯s father finished speaking, a lightning shed across the sky followed by a sudden downpour whichsted five days. It was as if the gods wanted to cleanse the world.

    Five dayster, the upper society came to learn of Zi You¡¯s plight. The daughter of the general¡¯s household, had passed away at the tender age of seventeen.

    Zi You¡¯s grandfather, Old General Mu had a long military career with uncountable achievements. In his lifetime, he only had two sons.

    Old General Mu¡¯s older son was Zi You¡¯s father. Zi You¡¯s mother had passed away from an illness when she was only nine. Merely three yearster, her father remarried. Her stepmother, Yi Ping, the aunt of Lan Xuan inherited her birth mother¡¯s position as the legal wife.

    Seven months ago, while fighting rebels in Nanjiang, Old General Mu and his younger son sumbed to a disease and died together on the battlefield.

    Zi You was the apple of Old General Mu¡¯s eye and it was truly a pity that she followed her grandfather¡¯s footstep and died soon after. The way she died made people sigh....

    When Zi You regained consciousness, she thought she was in theherworld.

    What¡¯s unexpected was that there was a bed in theherworld and the room that she is currently in resembled the room she stayed in when she was twelve.

    Just as Zi You was about to look around the room, she saw a woman walk in. The woman seems to be around sixteen to seventeen years of age. The woman asked ¡°Zi You, you¡¯ve finally woken up? You scared mother. Your fever persisted for the past three days. Lucky i managed to get some holy water from the MingYuan Temple. It wasn¡¯t easy getting it. I had to kowtow all the way to the temple before being bestowed with holy water.

    As Yi Ping said that, she took out her handkerchief and started wiping her eyes. Zi You was shocked! Yi Ping, my stepmother, why is she here? Furthermore, isn¡¯t she already in her twenties? How could she look so young?

    Subconsciously, Zi You stretched out her own hand only to receive a pleasant surprise. Her hand was a few sizes smaller. It was not the hand of her seventeen year old self.

    Zi You stumbled down the bed and walked to her bronze mirror. The reflection in the mirror was that of a young girl about eleven to twelve year old. It was the exact replica of her when she was at that age.

    Is it possible that i¡¯ve been given a second chance? Zi You couldn¡¯t believe it. She stared at Yi Ping in disbelief and questioned ¡°What year is it now?¡±

    The Great Yan Dynasty was where Zi You lived. She remembered that when she died, it was the twenty-third year of Xuanwu and the emperor was Shangguan Haoyu who inherited the throne when he was twenty-one. At the time of her death, Shangguan Haoyu was forty-four.

    Yi Ping didn¡¯t know what was wrong with Zi You. ¡°Zi You, are you alright? It is currently the eleventh year of Xuanwu. Dont scare me...I¡¯m calling your father over now.¡±

    In a panic,Yi Ping left the room. Since she left in a hurry, she missed out on Zi You¡¯s watery eyes and excited expression.

    Zi You thought ¡®So it seems i¡¯ve been transported back in time by five years?¡¯ That was correct. When she was twelve, she remembered that she had a high fever which persisted for three days and all the physicians said that it was incurable. It was due to the holy water that her stepmother had gotten from Mingyuan Temple that she was able to recover.

    It was after that incident that she got close to her stepmother, to the extent that she did whatever her stepmother said.

    Just because Yi Ping said ¡°Girls should not engage in violent activities such as ying with swords, people would gossip about you being unrefined¡±

    She gave up learning martial arts from her grandfather and second uncle, without a care of how disappointed they felt.

    Just because Yi Ping said ¡°Studying medicine is not suited for nobles and only peasants would learn it. Even respectable males do not dabble in medicine much less females.¡±

    She gave up on reading all her medicinal manuals and research on medicinal nts. Otherwise it was impossible for grandfather and second uncle to sumb to a disease while fighting the rebellion in Nanjiang.

 Chapter 6: I Want Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 6: I Want Revenge</h4>

    It Yi ping who brought Lan Xuan to Zi You and coax her into selling off her most trusted servant, Housekeeper Lou. This caused Housekeeper Lou to die a terrible death.

    All that happened just because Housekeep Lou had constantly cautioned Zi You about the duo.

    Because of Yi Ping, Zi You¡¯s father was disinclined to stand up for Zi You when she was wrongfully used ofcking virtue and cheating on her husband.

    These venomous snakes! Since the heavens allowed me to live again, I, Zi You will never let any of you off.

    Lan Xuan, Hong Xiang, Yi Ping, the Duke household, I Zi You swear that if I do not ruin your reputation, break your family apart and return this blood debt to you, I will enter the depths of hell, never to be reincarnated.

    Father, you too! I will definitely make you regret everything that you have done.

    From now onwards, I¡¯ll only allow myself to let others down but never the other way around.

    From now onwards, I¡¯ll start executing my revenge! I¡¯ll be the devil¡¯s incarnate, charm all of you and trap your souls, guiding all of you onto the road of no return. I will use your blood to water the bloody wings of the fallen angel.

    From now onwards, I will get stronger. I will not only practice martial arts but also medicine. I will definitely protect my loved ones and let them live a long and blissful life.

    At this moment, Zi You had her back facing the bronze mirror, not noticing that her eyes had turned purple or that her clenched fist had cause the tiles on the ground to crack.

    Zi You¡¯s deep purple eyes made her look extremely seductive. With her deep set features, the current her did not look twelve but instead like a fox demon, seductive down to the core.

    What she did not know was that because of her hate and anger, she managed to breach the seal her birth mother, Dier had ced on her soul.

    Her appearance caused her grandfather who had just arrived a huge shock. When Zi You was born, she inherited spiritual power from her mother. Because her mother was afraid that Zi You would be noticed by her maternal grandmother, Indian Goddess Dumoli, she ced the seal on her.

    With the exception of her mother, no one is able to remove the seal. However, looking at the scenario now, it seems that the seal had indeed been undone.

    How did this happen? Judging from her appearance, it was obvious that she must have met with a huge setback. Why else would he lose control of her emotions?

    Old General Mu rushed towards Zi You and tightly embraced her into his bosom. In a caring voice, he asked ¡°My granddaughter, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Was it a nightmare?¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s tone had a thickyer of care and worry, making Zi You feel the warmth of a family member. She couldn¡¯t help but hugged her grandfather and sobbed ¡°grand...father i missed you...¡±

    Following behind Old General Mu was Zi You¡¯s second aunt and Housekeeper Lou.

    Thest person to enter the room was Zi You¡¯s father, Ying Rui. Looking at his calm andposed face, Zi You couldn¡¯t help but give a ridiculous smile.

    When she once again saw her stepmother pretending to care for her, she acted grateful and said ¡°Zi You is really unfilial, I made father and mother worry unnecessarily.¡±

 Chapter 7: Let Mother Have A Good Rest

    <h4>Chapter 7: Let Mother Have A Good Rest</h4>

    After Zi You said her piece, she held onto her grandfather¡¯s sleeve and coquettishly said ¡°Grandfather, now that I have recovered why don¡¯t you let mother rest? Don¡¯t tire her out by having her take charge of the family finances. Why don¡¯t you pass the matter on to second aunt instead? By the way, father why don¡¯t you let mother rest and stop requesting for her to go on that long work trip with you? Why don¡¯t you go together with fourth mistress?¡±

    (TL: Fourth mistress is her dad¡¯s concubine. Lower status than her stepmother)

    Zi you clearly remembered that when she recovered from her fever in her previous life, she gave into Yi Ping¡¯s pleads and followed her father and stepmother to Quanzhou.

    Three yearster, Zi You¡¯s father came back to the capital, along with Yi Ping and their two year old son. Ironically, it was Zi You who requested for Yi Ping to take over the family finances.

    This time around, even if Zi You died, she was adamant about never letting her stepmother follow her father to Quanzhou and never giving her the chance to birth a son. Much less allow her to control the household finances.

    When Zi You saw her father and stepmother¡¯s shocked expression, she did not spare them. Instead, she snuggled up to her grandfather and said ¡°Grandfather, looking at how much mother cares for me, can you ept my request...Please...? I feel really sorry for mother seeing how hard she worked.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes. I¡¯ll promise you that. You have just recovered, don¡¯t worry so much. Zi You¡¯s second aunt, I¡¯ll have to trouble you with the finances. You¡¯ll take over her role while she rests. Zi You¡¯s father, you too, stop bothering your wife and give her a break. Just bring your fourth mistress along on the trip.¡± said Zi You¡¯s grandfather.

    ¡°Yes¡± Zi You¡¯s second aunt replied obediently. After which, she stroked Zi You¡¯s nose affectionately and joked ¡°You¡¯er cares so much for her mother that it¡¯s making me a little jealous. It is indeed better to have a daughter, their more thoughtful. Unlike those two yful sons of mine. Brother, sister the both of you have such great fortune!¡±

    (TL: Adding ¡¯er behind a person¡¯s name is an affectionate way of calling someone)

    Zi You¡¯s father gave a forced smile and said ¡°yes¡±, but in his heart, he was vexed and displeased.

    Having just married a new wife less than half a year ago, it was the honeymoon phase of their rtionship. He hated that he wasn¡¯t able to stick together with his wife everyday.

    Although Yi Ping was the daughter of the prime minister, she was the daughter of a concubine. Her birth mother, the seventh mistress of the prime minister was a lowly entertainer prior to entering the prime minister¡¯s household. Thus it was no wonder Yi Pingcked the refined air of a noble aristocraticdy and instead led a licentious way of life.

    Especially when it came to matters in the bedroom, Yi Ping was proactive, passionate and serious about pleasing Zi You¡¯s father. She had him under her spell. He was so infatuated with her that he reduced his visits to the courtyards to his other mistresses, even his favourite fourth mistress was not spared.

    Back to the scene in the bedroom, Yi Ping was dumbfounded! Initially, Zi You disliked her stepmother and treated her coldly. However, regardless of how cold Zi You was, Yi Ping never dared to express her dissatisfaction. This is because in the General¡¯s household, whatever Zi You said was approved by Old General Mu.

    Be it Old General, second uncle or second aunt, all of them doted on Zi You. Even Madam Liu¡¯s(Second aunt) sons who were younger than Zi You could notpare to her.

    This is also the reason why in the face of Zi You, Yi Ping had always yed the part of a virtuous wife and loving mother. She knew that only by doing so can she be approved by Zi You and enjoy a smooth sailing life and gain a foothold in this household.

    But now, this god damn girl is screwing her over under the pretense of caring for her. This made it difficult for her to endure.

    Yi Ping looked at Zi You while clenching her jaw so tightly that she felt like her teeth was going to break. On top of that she had to act the part of a virtuous woman and give Zi You a smile while saying ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯m pleased to have such an obedient and understanding daughter.¡±

    In Zi You¡¯s heart, she thought ¡®Bitch! Why don¡¯t you drop your act. If you want to go ahead and continue acting, do it well. I¡¯ve already died once, what¡¯s there to fear now?¡¯

 Chapter 8: Birth Mystery

    <h4>Chapter 8: Birth Mystery</h4>

    A sneer shed across Zi You¡¯s face momentarily, followed by a sweet smile ¡°actually it is daughter who cannot bear mother leaving, I wanted to spend more time with you. You won¡¯t me me for being immature would you? Or is it that you¡¯re reluctant to leave father¡¯s side? ¡±

    Old General Mu went to Nanjing to fight the rebellion thrice. The first time, Zi You¡¯s second uncle, Ying Yi was only fifteen. At that time he had been a charming and good-looking youth who was a young soldier.

    Being unfamiliar with the geography, they met with a lot of trouble in the mountains.

    Ying Yi was even bitten by a poisonous snake. If they had not met Zi You¡¯s mother, Dier, he would have died.

    Dier used her spiritual powers and saved Ying Yi and in the process fell in love with him. She stayed with the troops of Old General Mu, serving as a doctor.

    Truth to be told, Old General Mu and Ying Yi both knew that without thee sixteen year old Dier, they could not have dealt with the rebellion so smoothly and sessfully, minimizing their casualties and return triumphantly.

    Because of this, when Dier secretly followed Old General Mu back to Great Yan behind her parent¡¯s back, wanting to marry Ying Yi, it ced both of them in an awkward position.

    This was especially so for Ying Yi who didn¡¯t want to hurt this mysterious, cool and elegant beauty. However, he too couldn¡¯t bear to hurt his chaste and soft-spoken fiancee whom he grew up with.

    Thus he had to tell Dier the truth.

    After Dier learnt of it, she was extremely understanding. From then, she never mentioned wanting to marry Ying Yi ever again. Moreover, she quickly epted Old General Mu¡¯s suggestion of marrying Ying Rui(Zi You¡¯s father)

    Speaking of which, Ying Rui looked rather dashing and was also willing to marry Dier. After all, she was iparably beautiful. In the entire country of Great Yan, there was no one who could hold a candle to her.

    However, Dier did not love him. They had vast differences in terms of culture, food and religion. This made problems arise in their marriage fairly early.

    Dier¡¯s mother had a very noble background and was loved by the people. Dier¡¯s mother marrying Dier¡¯s businessmen father was out of love and he too treated her well. He had no other mistresses or women other than Dier¡¯s mother. Thus Dier despised men who were unfaithful and those who engage in the practice of having multiple wives.

    Dier thought that a good man should be like Ying Yi, loyal and responsible, protecting their woman from everything.

    But Ying Rui and Ying Yi were pr opposites. While Dier was pregnant with Zi You, Ying Rui had the audacity to sleep with three servant girls and marry two mistresses.

    (TL: Marry in this case means giving a position to them but not necessarily holding a ceremony. Mistresses have positions lower than the wife)

    Dier was utterly disgusted by Ying Rui and after Zi You was born, she treated him even more coldly than before. She was unwilling to acknowledge Ying Rui. She ignored him and spent all her time on researching medicinal herbs and animals.

    At the beginning, Ying Rui was at least willing to lower his position and attempted to pacify Dier. After Dier snubbed him, he got frustrated.

    He thought ¡®what¡¯s the big deal? Isn¡¯t it just looks? Once the candle goes off, she was no different from other women. She doesn¡¯t even taste as good as my mistresses. She¡¯s cold and acts like a ice block in bed.¡¯

    Such thoughts pushed the already distant duo further apart.

    There was once Ying Rui saw Dier coiling a poisonous snake around her body. He was frightened and grossed out. From then on, he no longer slept with Dier and the both of them totally separated.

    After that, it was as if Ying Rui abandon all restraint and lost control. Because of this he was often chided by Old General Mu. There was once Old General Mu even bestowed him with the ¡®family punishment¡¯, causing flowers to bloom on his bottom and him to stay bedridden for a month.

    Seeing the unfortunate marriage of his brother and sister-inw made Ying Yi and his wife feel guilt and unease.

 Chapter 9: Birth Mystery

    <h4>Chapter 9: Birth Mystery</h4>

    Especially Madam Liu(second aunt), she assumed that her happiness was given to her by Dier.

    Apart from knowing Ying Yi ever since they were young, with

    regards to looks and ability, she was no match for Dier.

    When Madam Liu was having her first child, she had a difficult

    bour. If it wasn¡¯t for Dier using her spiritual powers, she could have died

    together with her child.

    Towards someone like Dier, other than feeling grateful, she

    admired her. She felt that this mysterious sister-inw wasn¡¯t cold and

    distant at all. She had a heart as beautiful as her appearance.

    Madam Liu treated Zi You really well because she wanted to repay

    Dier for saving her life and also because she had no daughter of her own. After all, she owed a great deal.

    Just like that, Dier possessing spiritual powers was known to Old

    General Mu, Ying Yi and Madam Liu. With the exception of Ying Rui and the servants.

    Dier had outstanding medical prowess and loved researching

    nts. The nts she grew not only had medicinal value but also possessed poison and she couldmunicate with them. Among them, there was many which could not be found in Great Yan. For example, datura flowers and poppies.

    When Zi You was born, Dier gave her a thorough body check up. Upon realizing that she was born with spiritual powers, Dier was shocked. Dier did not want her daughter to live like her, she wanted her daughter to have a regr life just like everyone else. Moreover she didn¡¯t want her daughter to have to worry about being brought back home to the spirit realm.

    The second time Old General Mu and Ying Yi went to Nanjing to settle the rebellion, Dier followed them, reducing the casualties in their troops. However, Dier¡¯s whereabouts were discovered by her nsmen.

    Dier was eventually brought back by her mother. Missing her daughter, she was extremely unwilling to return with her nsmen. However, her spiritual power were far inferior to Dumoli and despite going all out, she was captured by her nsmen and brought back.

    Unable to tell the truth, Old General Mu could only lie, saying that Dier had died from an illness.

    At that time, Zi You was only nine. Losing her mother at such a young age caused her to fall sick. This made Old General Mu and Ying Yi pity Zi You.

    After Zi You recovered, Old General Mu decided to teach her martial arts to strengthen her body.

    Zi You had always been interested in nts and medicine from a very young age. She had immerse talent in these area that exceeded even Dier¡¯s imagination, therefore Dier had always been imparting her knowledge in medicine to her. Was it not because of Yi Ping, Old General Mu and Ying Yi would definitely not have died from a disease.

    Zi You made a pledge in her heart that she would for sure master all of her mother¡¯s medicinal technique. Luckily for her, Dier left many precious copies of medicinal books for her. Moreover, they were all written in cryptic that only Zi You could understand.

    Currently, Zi You did not know that she possessed spiritual powers. However Old General Mu realized it and after thinking about it and discussing with Ying Yi, they decided to reveal the truth about Zi You¡¯s spiritual power to her.

    This is because the two of them feared that Zi You may lose control of her spiritual powers and reveal her purple eyes to the world. At that time, it would be disastrous.

    Hearing her grandfather and second uncle describing her lineage, Zi You was not shaken, instead she was ecstatic.

    Zi You always knew that her mother was not simple. From the day she taught Zi You medicine, Zi You knew that her mother was different from the women of Great Yan.

 Chapter 10: Doubt

    <h4>Chapter 10: Doubt</h4>

    Never in her wildest dream did Zi You expect her mother to be a descendant of the Indian Goddess Dumoli, much less her inheriting spiritual powers from her mother.

    If this was the case, her chances of a sessful revenge would increase tremendously. This time, she is not only going to master the art of medicine, but also martial arts.

    ¡®I must master martial art, only then will I be allowed to follow grandfather and second uncle to Nanjing, preventing the tragedy from urring.¡¯

    After making up her mind, Zi You told her grandfather ¡°grandfather, granddaughter has already recovered, from tomorrow onwards, I want to learn martial arts from you. You must be sure to impart all of your skills to me!¡±

    Listening to Zi You, Old General Mu was very pleased but he didn¡¯t forget to remind her ¡°Zi You, practicing martial arts is very tough. You will have to train consistently and bitterly in movement skills and inner strength. Inner strength would most probably not be a problem for you. Since you possess spiritual powers, you will definitely be able to improve at a speed that exceed others. The only issue is movement skills. For movement skills, you will have to attach iron sand bags to your legs while flying over eaves and running on roofs.¡±

    Zi You looked at her grandfather and said decisively ¡°grandfather, I¡¯m not afraid, you only need to care about guiding me strictly. Only, granddaughter wishes for you to keep this a secret and reveal me learning martial arts to outsiders only after I¡¯ve mastered it. Also grandfather, granddaughter has some suspicion. Why is it that after practicing martial arts with you for over half a year, instead of having my constitution improved, I was afflicted with such a serious illness? Who was the doctor that came? And did he say exactly what illness did I contract? Also, what medicine did he prescribe and was there a prescription list? How is it possible for me to heal miraculously after drinking some ¡®holy water¡¯? If that is so, what¡¯s the point of even having doctors?¡±

    Old General Mu did not expect his granddaughter to be so sharp at such a young age. He recalled that after Zi You had fallen sick all of a sudden, out of nowhere and lost consciousness very soon after.

    Was it not for the fact that the imperial doctor was summoned by his older son, Old General Mu would not believe what the doctor had said.

    At that time the imperial doctor told Old General Mu ¡°weird, this is weird. I can¡¯t determine what illness young miss has contracted, thus we can only attempt to lower her temperature for now. Otherwise, young miss¡¯s brain might get damaged.¡±

    After drinking the medicine prescribed by the imperial doctor, there was no signs of improvement and Zi You¡¯s body was still burning, with no sign of her regain consciousness.

    Atst, Imperial Doctor Qin can only shake his head helplessly saying ¡°lowly subject is useless, please look for other ways.¡±

    At this moment, elder daughter-inw(Zi You¡¯s stepmother) ran out from behind the screen crying ¡°then will the holy water from the temple work?¡±

    Imperial Doctor replied ¡°you can try, who knows? It may actually work.¡± while he was walking out with a solemn expression.

    Just like this, Yi Ping went to the temple despite Ying Rui¡¯s(Zi You¡¯s father) discouragement. Covering her head and masking her face, Yi Ping kowtowed all the way to the temple to show her sincerity and begged for holy water. Unexpectedly, the holy water worked! Two hours after Zi You drank it, her fever subsided and four hourster, she woke up.

    Hearing such a long series of questions from Zi You, Old General Mu was stunned speechless. He didn¡¯t know what how to reply Zi You.

    After all, the only person in the family who had conflicting interest with Zi You was her stepmother, Yi Ping. This is because Zi You had never liked her and treated her coldly after she married Ying Rui.

    Just because Zi You didn¡¯t like her, Old General Mu and his second son¡¯s family treated Yi Ping coldly. Rather, it was only Zi You¡¯s father who had great rtions with Yi Ping. So much so that he even suggested bringing Yi Ping along on his trip.

 Chapter 11: Doubt

    <h4>Chapter 11: Doubt</h4>

    After Old General Mu¡¯s wife passed away a long time ago, he had never remarried nor take on a mistress. Thus the finances of the household was left in the hands of his second daughter-inw, Madam Liu.

    Initially, Madam Liu wanted to give up her authority to Yi Ping, however this was stopped by Zi You. Reason being, Yi Ping was undutiful. She who had just became the legal wife was supposed to show her respect to Zi You¡¯s mother on the second day of the wedding. However, Yi Ping and Ying Rui acted dumb and tried to brush the matter off.

    Only after Zi You insisted did Yi Ping went over to greet Dier. This made Ying Rui so dissatisfied that he summoned Zi You into the study to give her a ¡®good lecture¡¯.

    Zi You was so furious she ran over to Old General Mu to tell on her father. Old General Mu subsequently ¡®rewarded¡¯ his son with two big ps on his face. He pointed at him while scolding ¡°You ungrateful rascal! Did you forget your old wife after getting a new one? To think that you have the gall to criticize Zi You when you mistreat your own daughter for your new wife! See how I¡¯ll deal with you if you ever let Zi You down again!¡±

    Truthfully, neither Old General Mu nor Ying Yi could understand Ying Rui. Objectively speaking, regardless of looks, personality, moral values or talent, Dier far surpassed Yi Ping. But for some reason, Ying Rui preferred Yi Ping a lot more than Dier.

    This may be because they did not know that even though Dier was gorgeous, she had a cold personality, additionally, she did not love Ying Rui and thus she was never attentive to him.

    Ying Rui had always felt like his wife, Dier was an untouchable ice fairy and not his wife. This is also the reason why he took in countless mistresses after marriage.

    Yi Ping was different. Yi Ping¡¯s birth mother was a seductive entertainer with many means. Hence, even though Yi Ping may not have other abilities, she inherited a hundred percent of her mother¡¯s ¡®techniques¡¯ in pleasing men.

    It was no surprise that Yi Ping and Ying Rui had already fooled around during the banquet in the prime minister¡¯s estate prior to their wedding.

    That night, Ying Rui who had too many drinks stumbled into Yi Ping while heading to the bathroom. When Ying Rui gazed at Yi Ping and saw her alluring smile, he lost his soul to her.

    He bowed to her and acted every part of a gentlemen saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss, I was reckless, are you alright?¡±

    Yi Ping looked shyly at him and replied coyly ¡°sir, there¡¯s no need for your apology, I should have been more careful. Let me be the one to apologise instead.¡±

    While the two of them conversed, they shot each other with flirty gazes. Not long after, Yi Ping threw a handkerchief to Ying Rui and bidded farewell while saying ¡°I¡¯m Yi Ping, the seventh daughter of the Prime Minister¡±

    After Yi Ping finished what she had to say, she once again smiled at Ying Rui seductively before turning around and walking away while swaying her hips from side to side.

    When Ying Rui saw that, he went back home in disappointment. The next day, Ying Rui rushed to look for a matchmaker who would go to the Prime Minister¡¯s estate to propose marriage on his behalf. He was acting just like an impulsive teenage,

    However, once the news spreaded to Old General Mu, Old General Mu scolded Ying Rui mercilessly ¡°from olden days, children¡¯s marriages were decided by their parents and matchmaker. There is no one who would propose a marriage by themselves. Besides, it hasn¡¯t even been two years since your wife passed away and you dare to dream of remarrying? Let me warn you, there is no way I¡¯ll allow you to marry that woman before the end of your wife¡¯s three years mourning period¡±

    Just like this, the both of them had to endure the hardships of yearning and wait for an extra year.

    One yearter, on the night of the wedding, Ying Rui fully experienced how different Yi Ping was from Dier. This woman was insanely passionate.

    Ying Rui was originally a lustful fellow so how could he not be mesmerized?

    They were indeed birds of the same feather and shared equally vile habits. That¡¯s why they even wanted to travel to Quan Zhou together.

    However, in the face of Zi You¡¯s strong disagreement and the excuse that the new wife has to wait on her inws, Yi Ping could only stay in the capital.

 Chapter 12: Truth behind the fever

    <h4>Chapter 12: Truth behind the fever</h4>

    Now that Zi You expressed her concern over this matter, Old General Mu became unsettled.

    Could Yi Ping be attempting to get revenge on Zi You? What about that son of mine? Did he know about this? He¡¯d be the worst parent on earth if he and Yi Ping really plotted against Zi You just to go on that trip together.

    When Old General Mu thought about this, he felt like his entire body was submerged in ice cold water. He could feel the cold from inside out.

    Without dy, Old General Mumanded his subordinate to investigate the matter. As the investigationmenced, some clues were revealed.

    Firstly, Imperial Doctor Qin had some connections to Yi Ping¡¯s birth mother. He was a loyal fan of Yi Ping¡¯s entertainer mother. If it wasn¡¯t for the Prime Minister, Yi Ping¡¯s father could have been Imperial Doctor Qin instead! Additionally, Ying Rui was not close to Imperial Doctor Qin. They were at most acquaintances. So what made Ying Rui look specifically for Imperial Doctor Qin out of all the Imperial Doctors at the Tai Yi Yuan? (TL: imperial hospital, do let me know if you prefer to call it the imperial hospital or Tai Yi Yuan)

    Secondly, two nights prior to Zi You falling sick, for unknown reasons, Yi Ping and Ying Rui had an altercation. The maid servants even distinctly heard Yi Ping¡¯s sobs. Xiao Yu, Madam¡¯s Liu¡¯s maidservant, happened to be visiting her sister in Yi Ping¡¯s courtyard on that exact same night. Her sister was a maidservant working under Yi Ping. When the two sisters came out, they passed Yi Ping¡¯s window and heard her saying, ¡°Your daughter....hates me...can you...bear... ... see me...bullied ...for... three years...¡±

    Following these leads, Old General Mu dispatched his men to secretly inquire at Tai Yi Yuan. From there, he learned of a herb from the West called Wang You Lian. It¡¯s appearance was simr to a regr lotus, but it¡¯s flowers and seeds were golden in color. The flower bloom would be about the size of a young child¡¯s fist, while the golden seeds would be the size of a bean. The Wang You Lian flower is very beautiful.

    Upon first seeing the seed, an average person would think that it was a golden bean. However, the Wang You Lian¡¯s seed is soft and bouncy. Beneath it¡¯s golden exterior is a ck core. When dropped and boiled in water, the water would turn sweet causing people to often mistake it with a beverage due to the sweet taste. The only catch is that it would cause high fever and unconsciousness. An overdose would induce a rapid fever that would eventually lead to death. Because the flower allowed the consumer to forget all their worries in ¡®sleep¡¯, it is aptly named the Wang You Lian.

    (TL: Íü=forget,ÓÇ=worry,Á«=lotus)

    While the seed is poisonous, the golden flower is its cure. Boiling two to three petals and drinking it will allow the fever to subside almost immediately.

    After investigating to this point, if Old General Mu haven¡¯t figured out what had happened he would be an idiot. Angrily unsheathing his Flying Dragon sword, he wanted to kill his son and daughter-inw on the spot. However, he was stopped by Ying Yi and Zi You.

    With tears streaming down Zi You¡¯s face, she cried, ¡°Grandfather, if you do this the reputation of the general¡¯s estate will be ruined! Both you and second uncle will be affected. Other people will gossip saying, if you can¡¯t even handle your family affairs, how would you handle the army? Grandfather, please don¡¯t ruin the entire reputation of the general¡¯s estate just for those two cold blooded monsters. Besides, they did such things so that I would ept stepmother. If I tried to get along with her there will be no more problems. The only issue is that we should never allow such a woman to follow father on his trip. Can you imagine what could happen if she abuses the influence she has over father? Please think thrice Grandfather.¡±

    After contemting for a moment, Old General Mu told his second son and granddaughter, ¡°When your father goes on his trip, I will have Butler Zhou follow and keep an eye on him. If your father turns over a new leaf, we shall forget about this incident. Otherwise, I will not let this go! As for that evil woman, Zi You¡¯s right. We must keep her here. I want to see if she has any other ideas up those sleeves of hers. Hence, Zi You, you should stay alert and wary of her. Ying Yi, tell your wife to find some reliable and loyal servants for Zi You.¡±

 Chapter 13: Messing with you

    <h4>Chapter 13: Messing with you</h4>

    A smile crept over Zi You¡¯s face as she imparted, ¡°Grandfather, there¡¯s no need for that. She¡¯d be suspicious if we did things that way. Why don¡¯t we test the waters first? If I begin treating her well, would she have the heart to continue to harm me? If she turns out to be heartless, then regardless of how we treat her we have no need to feel guilty afterwards. From now on, I will be cautious and not give her any opportunities.¡±

    Although Zi You said that, in her heart she thought ¡®a dog will never stop eating shit¡¯. The only reason why I¡¯m holding Grandfather back is because it would negatively affect his reputation. Besides, it would be granting that couple too much of an easy death if I allowed Grandfather to eliminate them.¡±

    (TL: the chinese way of saying a leopard will never change its spots)

    Zi You still remembers all the pain and suffering she experienced from her past life. The wrecking torment that came with each shallow breath she took because of her broken ribs; the splitting agony of losing her child; the horror of being hanged; the hatred and despair she felt when her life was being cut off by the rope tightened around her neck. Those memories were still fresh in her mind. How would she be worthy of a second chance if she neglected to repay them a taste of what they served her?

    Initially, Zi You thought that her father was merely smithen and blinded by that evil stepmother. Never did she expect that her father was so devoid of kinship and humanity that he would poison his own daughter for his own desires and benefits. How could such a person be her father, her kin? He is obviously an animal!

    Zi You returns to her You Ran Ju courtyard.

    Nanny Lou felt her heart ache for Zi You as she watched Eldest Miss stare out the window in deep thought. Ever since Eldest Miss recovered from her illness, it was as if she became another person. Many times she would gaze afar, deep in thought. She had also be unusually quiet.

    It was a contrast to how she had been before. Zi You used to be carefree. She¡¯d say whatever came to mind and did whatever she liked. Now, she would remain silent and studiously learn the zitter, chess, books, dance, etiquette, medicine and martial arts as if her life depended on mastering these skills.

    She would only reveal her heartfelt smile in the presence of Old General Mu, her second uncle, aunt and their son. When facing her father and stepmother, although it may look like she¡¯s gently smiling, only Nanny Lou knew from her years of caring for Zi You since infancy that behind the smile was a chilly intent.

    In the end, Yi Ping did not manage to apany Ying Rui to Quanzhou. Yi Ping red at Zi You, her nails digging into her palm as she saw the pleased and smiling face of fourth mistress.

    It¡¯s all because of this impudent girl! Ever since she recovered, she¡¯s always pestering me, asking me to cook for her, personally boil soup for her and even requesting me to sleep with her. I missed out on the time I could¡¯ve spent with her father before he left.

    Zi You felt the coldness emitted by Yi Ping on her back. She abruptly turned her head around and was met with Yi Ping¡¯s fawning face. In return, Zi You gave her a bright and mischievous smile.

    Zi You walked over to Yi Ping with feather light steps and coiled her hands around Yi Ping¡¯s arms while saying, ¡°Thank you mother! You¡¯er is so happy to have mother¡¯spany. Mother would not me daughter for being unreasonable for keeping you around, right? I can¡¯t bear to part with you nor Grandfather. Besides, father has so many women, but I only have you as my mother.¡±

    When Yi Ping heard ¡®many women¡¯, she felt so furious she almost fainted. It was like someone was using a needle to stab into her heart. Of course Yi Ping knew how many women Zi You¡¯s father had. He had six Yi Niang and four Tong Fang Ya Tou. In the entire general¡¯s estate, he had the most women!

    (TL:ÒÌÄï£¬Yi Niang¨C refers to a woman who has a lower standing than the legal wife, usually a Yi Niang would be from a humble background.

    Í¨·¿Ñ¾÷ß, Tong Fang Ya Tou¨C refers to maid servants who got promoted to being their master¡¯s woman.

    So in terms of ranking: Legal wife>Yi Niang>Tong Fang Ya Tou.

    Previously, the fourth mistress mentioned is a Yi Niang)

    In Old General Mu¡¯s life, he only had one woman, his wife. Even after his wife passed on, he never took on other women. Simrly, Ying Yi only had Madam Liu as his wife.

    Initially, Yi Ping thought that with the skills she learnt from her birth mother, she could make Ying Rui crazy for her. She hoped he would dote on her to the extent where Ying Rui would not blink an eye even when she dealt with his other women...

 Chapter 14: Disfiguring Your Face!

    <h4>Chapter 14: Disfiguring Your Face!</h4>

    Unexpectedly, every single one of Yi Ping¡¯s ns were destroyed by Zi You. Initially, Yi Ping thought that feeding the Wang You Lian to Zi You would give her the opportunity to showcase her sincerity to Zi You while she was sick. Yi Ping thought Zi You would especially be grateful to her after realizing how she begged for the holy water. Yi Ping didn¡¯t expect that even though Zi You seemed to have gotten closer to her on the surface, everything Zi You did smothered her heart.

    Because Yi Ping was unable to take the trip with Ying Rui, she discontentedly thought about how shameless Ying Rui was. She started to wonder how many more women he would bring back in three years time when he returns.

    As Zi You saw Yi Ping clenching her fist, she gave an even sweeter smile saying gently, ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no need to worry about father. In the past, whenever he went on a trip, the Yi Niangs has always waited upon him. He¡¯d be well taken care of. Sometimes father would be gifted women by his friends. Fifth and Sixth Yi Niangs were gifted to father by his friends. Maybe this time around when father returns, there will be Seventh and Eighth Yi Niangs.¡±

    As Zi You¡¯s arms were coiled around Yi Ping, Zi You clearly felt Yi Ping stiffen at her words. Immediately, Zi You felt a wave of pleasure.

    Hmmpphh! I¡¯ll anger you to death, Bitch! There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let you have Ying Rui to yourself. I¡¯ll find more Yi Niangs topete with you. Let¡¯s see how much spare time you have to scheme against me now.

    Zi You slept with Yi Ping for the next two nights after Ying Rui left. On the third night, Zi You had a nightmare. She kept crying out and shouting as if she was in pain.

    Yi Ping only stared coldly at Zi You. She had no intentions of waking Zi You up. It was only when a maid servant rushed in did Yi Ping decide to put on a concerned mother act. She donned a worried expression as she nudged Zi You while shouting, ¡°You¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong? Quickly wake up, don¡¯t scare mother!¡±

    Out of nowhere, Zi You¡¯s hands reached for Yi Ping¡¯s face.

    Females back in the day loved keeping their nails long. Besides, Zi You had no way of controlling her strength in her sleep. All Yi Ping felt was a burning sensation on her face. In rm, Yi Ping hopped quickly off the bed and ran to a mirror. The mirror reflected two long bloody scratches across Yi Ping¡¯s face. Blood was starting to ooze out of her wound.

    ¡°Ahhh! My face!¡± Yi Ping screamed. Unable to repress her hate and anger, she walked to Zi You¡¯s beside and raised her palm to p Zi You¡¯s face.

    Sadly, before Yi Ping¡¯s palm connected with its intended target, Zi You woke up. Turning around, Zi You asked in confusion, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? Why is your hand raised?¡±

    Not waiting for a reply, Zi You sighed, ¡°Ugh! Daughter had a bad dream just now. In the dream, there was a woman trying to harm daughter. Daughter wanted to scratch her. But before I managed to, I woke up.¡±

    Feeling guilty, Yi Ping could only keep her palm raised and readjust her intent. After looking at her hand for a while, Yi Ping awkwardly moved her palm towards Zi You¡¯s back and patted her lightly. Clenching her jaw Yi Ping forced herself to say, ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t manage to scratch her. However, you scratched my face...Who knows if it will leave a scar.¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Zi You shouted acting surprised. She pretended as if it was the first time she saw the injury on Yi Ping¡¯s face. ¡®Worried¡¯ and ¡®apologetic¡¯ tears welled in Zi You¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! Daughter did not do it intentionally. Mother please don¡¯t me me, alright? It¡¯s true, I was only trying to w the woman that tried to harm me. I had no idea why my attacknded on mother instead. Zi You deserves to die.¡±

    After apologizing, Zi You bent over and started crying.

    When Yi Ping saw this, she cursed in her heart. However, she forced herself to fake a smile andfort Zi You. Yi Ping wanted to howl like a wolf to release her pent-up anger. She felt wronged, but had to hold herself back.

    The next morning, Zi You informed Old General Mu of the incident while crying.

    Instead of asking Yi Ping if she was alright, heforted Zi You, ¡°My darling granddaughter, stop crying. You didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Your mother will not me you. Grandfather has a very effective scar cream. You can get it from meter and pass it to your mother. This is nothing to get upset about. Alright, from today onwards, there¡¯s no need to stay with your mother. Come over to Grandfather¡¯s ce to apany me instead.¡±

 Chapter 15: A knife over the heart, I must endure

    <h4>Chapter 15: A knife over the heart, I must endure</h4>

    When Yi Ping heard what Old General Mu said, she almost fell backwards in a daze. What did he mean by saying it¡¯s no big deal!? Is only your granddaughter precious while my face means nothing? Are you implying that I deserve to be scratched? On top of that, I mustn¡¯t hold a grudge against Zi You?

    Zi You looked at Yi Ping with an expression that said she felt wronged by Yi Ping.

    When Madam Liu saw Zi You¡¯s expression, she couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Sister-inw, why don¡¯t you forgive You¡¯er? She didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Besides, look at how sad she looks. Her face is as white as a sheet of paper.¡±

    Hearing this, Yi Ping was so frustrated her heart ached from suppressed emotions. Faking a smile, Yi Pingforted Zi You, ¡°You¡¯er, mother doesn¡¯t me you. Don¡¯t feel sad. Come on, stop crying. Seeing you cry makes my heart ache.¡±

    After uttering those words, Yi Ping couldn¡¯t bear consoling Zi You any longer and quickly retreated to her own courtyard. Once the doors were closed Yi Ping started smashing all the vases in her room. When she was done, sheid on her bed and started crying.

    Yi Ping¡¯s husband was not present, so there was no one to support orfort her when she was being bullied. Even back home at the Prime Minister¡¯s estate, her father¡¯s legal wife did not treat her well. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that her legal mother wanted her to marry that old Civil Minister as a mistress, she would not have plotted to marry Ying Rui and be his new wife.

    (TL: Just a note, all the children supposed to call the legal wife mother. The child of a mistress, can only call their birth mother Yi Niang. In private however, some of them do address their birth mother as mother.)

    Originally, Yi Ping¡¯s father doted on her birth mother and thus treated Yi Ping with care and concern. However, ever since the young and gorgeous Tenth Yi Niang entered the family, the way her father treated her birth mother changed for the worst. Otherwise, with Yi Ping¡¯s family¡¯s backing, the General¡¯s estate would¡¯ve treated her with more care.

    However, even if Yi Ping¡¯s father doted on her, he wouldn¡¯t have the imprudence to offend Old General Mu, who held control of the army of Great Yan, just for her. Moreover, her father may look impressive on the surface; in fact, their family had fallen. He held the image of an important official, but really had no power. They did not possess actual authority. How could theypare to Old General Mu who had the trust of the emperor?

    The only thing Yi Ping could do now was endure. Endure till her husband came home. Endure till Old General Mu passed away. First things first, Yi Ping had to gain control of the household finance.

    Enduring was not easy. How was Yi Ping suppose to cate that little brat Zi You so that she would listen to her? Only when Zi You became willing to stand up for Yi Ping would her life in the General¡¯s estate improve.

    Yi Pingid in bed, deep in thought for the entire night. The next morning, Yi Ping sported prominent dark circles around her eyes. Even after pondering for so long, she only managed toe up with a lousy idea.

    Meanwhile, Zi You moved out of Yi Ping¡¯s ce and settled at her Grandfather¡¯s to learn martial arts.

    Because of her spiritual powers, Zi You made vast improvements in her martial arts. Her inner strength especially benefited from the training. The progress she made within half a year could bepared to the progress an average person made in five to six years.

    Young Zi You¡¯s body was light as a sparrow. Her inner strength had a solid foundation. Even her movement skills were superior to others. Now, flying over eaves and running on rooftops were like child¡¯s y to her. Old General Mu was extremely pleased with Zi You¡¯s progress.

    On the surface however, Old General Mu did not express his joy. He held high standards for Zi You.

    Every night, Zi You practiced martial arts with her grandfather. During the day, she would learn music, chess, art, dance and virtue. Any extra time she had was spent studying medicine.

    Zi You also took the time to repair and rebuild the almost deserted Hundred Herb Garden her mother left her. Luckily, all the flowers, nts, herbs her mother had left were still alive. Even that spirit snake-Wei Sha Li was still there.

    In her previous life, she was convinced into chasing Wei Sha Li away and closing the Hundred Herb Garden by Yi Ping. Slowly, all living things in the garden started dying. They included many expensive herbs that could not be bought even with money in Great Yan.

    Also, Zi You made a new discovery. Her sense of smell, sight and memory had improved. All the books and things that she saw, it was almost impossible to forget them. Even the herbs or scent she smelled, she¡¯d be able to recall and identify them from scent alone as long as she¡¯d gotten a whiff of it before.

 Chapter 16: Asking you to be my female chef

    <h4>Chapter 16: Asking you to be my female chef</h4>

    Zi You seemed to be able tomunicate with Wei Sha Li. She remembered that her mother was able tomunicate with animals, nts, and even summon the wind and rain.

    In her previous life, she wrongly trusted Yi Ping and believed her mother to be abnormal. Now, she realized that she had been too stupid.

    Zi You flipped through the books her mother left her. Like a sponge, she absorbed all the knowledge and skills.

    No matter how busy she was Zi You never forgot about Yi Ping. Once in a while she would make life difficult for Yi Ping.

    That vicious woman Yi Ping was not totally useless. At least she made delicious soups. The taste and smell of her soups were amazing.

    How would Yi Ping genuinely be willing to cook for Zi You every day? Thus, Yi Ping came up with a hateful idea. She decided to add some special ingredients to her soup and cause Zi You to fall ill.

    In Yi Ping¡¯s mind, she thought that she had a better chance of gaining Zi You¡¯s trust and reliance while Zi You was ill. It would also save her the effort from cooking for Zi You every day.

    But s, how could Yi Ping¡¯s n escape Zi You¡¯s deep purple eyes. ¡°Mother, you have to personally look after these foods. They will be consumed by me and Grandfather. Please do not use anyone else while cooking. You¡¯er does not want to fall sick like the previous time. Grandfather mentioned that if I fall ill a second time, he is going to start killing regardless of whether the person is in the right or wrong.¡±

    After hearing this Yi Ping became so furious that her head felt faint. The n she thought up after one entire sleepless night had to be aborted even before implementation. On top of that, she had to cook for Zi You personally and act as if she was ted to do so!

    Thinking of Zi You¡¯s illness made Yi Ping shiver. If Old General Mu figured out that she was the one behind Zi You¡¯s high fever the previous time, Yi Ping would be dead without Ying Rui to block the Old General¡¯s anger.

    Indeed, Yi Ping wanted Zi You dead, but not at the expense of her own life! Thus, she could only wait for her chance, gritting teeth till Ying Ruies back.

    Yi Ping was conflicted whether she wanted Ying Rui to return early or not. This was because of the injury on her face. Many days had passed, yet the two deep gashes still haven¡¯t faded.

    Yi Ping spent a lot of silver, saw many doctors and bought many creams. But all her efforts were in vain as the scar remained unchanging on her face.

    Initially, Yi Ping had really fair and fine skin. Now, with two deep red scars on her face, her looks were destroyed.

    The only reason Ying Rui could not detach himself from Yi Ping was due to her soft tender flesh. Ying Rui once said ¡°Now, I¡¯ve finally learnt what is creamy and tender, white as jade. Baby, you are the epitome of it.¡±

    Presently, Yi Ping¡¯s skin had two huge ws and it was on her face!

    Thinking about it made Yi Ping¡¯s animosity deepen towards Zi You. She hated that she was unable to strangle that little bitch Zi You! Yi Ping didn¡¯t know what was so great about Zi You that made Old General Mu, Ying Yi and his wife treat Zi You as a treasure. It was like they were afraid that Zi You would melt in their mouth and shatter in their hands.

    Yi Ping looked at her pair of hands which were starting to turn coarse. The loathing she felt towards Zi You increased. She even started doubting whether Zi You had lost faith in her. But the little bitch would always snuggle in her bosom and act all affectionate.

    On the other hand, Zi You was dealing with Yi Ping and trying find out information about the duke¡¯s household from her grandfather.

    Zi You knew that in her past life, her grandfather wanted to marry her into the Duke¡¯s household. This was because her grandfather had once saved the Duke¡¯s father¡¯s life. In return, the Duke¡¯s father would always gift paintings to her grandfather.

    The Duke¡¯s father didn¡¯t have much ability but his works became great paintings. Others could not even purchase his paintings with money. However, towards her grandfather, he was always generous. He frequently gifted the paintings he was satisfied with to her grandfather.

 Chapter 17: Meeting the enemies

    <h4>Chapter 17: Meeting the enemies</h4>

    Because of the generosity of the Duke¡¯s household, the rtionship between the General¡¯s and Duke¡¯s household improved.

    The two families would often visit one another. Hong Xiang, who was the Duke and Zi You¡¯s husband from her past life, and his mother would frequently visit the general estate as guests. Thus, not long after Zi You¡¯s revival from her past life, she saw her enemies.

    Fifteen year old Hong Xiang was indeed a handsome young man. He had cherry red lips and bright white teeth along with a pair of charming eyes. When he smiled, his eyes took the shape of a crescent moon. They were mesmerizing.

    In Zi You¡¯s past life, she was fooled by Hong Xiang¡¯s handsome appearance. Additionally, he had the gift of gab, specializing in ttery. After meeting Zi You, Hong Xiang would murmur sweet nothings in Zi You¡¯s ear, wheedling his way into Zi You¡¯s heart.

    At that time, Zi You did not have much friends and thought that he was sincere. She was tricked by this scum and agreed to her Grandfather¡¯s and the current Duke¡¯s arrangement (Hong Xiang¡¯s father). She consented to marry this fake gentleman.

    Currently, Hong Xiang¡¯s mother, Madam Chen, is only a woman in her early thirties. She looks dignified and elegant. She and her son has simr eyes. Even when they¡¯re not talking, they look amiable and approachable.

    In the past, Zi You wrongly assumed that Madam Chen was an easy-going person. Now that Zi You has the chance to reevaluate things, Zi You felt a chill in her heart.

    In the previous life, Madam Chen did not favor Zi You. She merely consented to the marriage to please her husband. In actuality, Madam Chen thought Zi You looked too stunning, too different. One look at Zi You and everyone could tell that she was not a person from Great Yan. Remembering that Zi You¡¯s mother was of unknown origins, Madam Chen thought that having Zi You marry her son was inappropriate.

    At the time, Hong Xiang was totally captivated by Zi You¡¯s beauty. Onlyter into the marriage did Hong Xiang realize that Zi You had a cold temperament and did not cater to his whims. He increasingly became annoyed with her attitude.

    Later, Hong Xiang met Lan Xuan. Under her influence, his dislike for Zi You grew.

    Simr to Yi Ping, Lan Xuan has her ways with men. Lan Xuan¡¯s blood rted grandmother (aka Yi Ping¡¯s birth mother) was an entertainer. Her grandmother was a convincing actress and imparted all her skills to Yi Ping and Lan Xuan, her daughter and granddaughter.

    Lan Xuan¡¯s grandmother even told her about how she captured the Prime Minister. There were rumors that Yi Ping¡¯s and Yi Xiang¡¯s birth mother was a woman the Prime Minister kept hidden from the household. Only after she was found to be pregnant was she brought to the Prime Minister¡¯s estate. From this example, Yi Ping¡¯s older sister, Yi Xiang (Lan Xuan¡¯s mother), too had an affair with her current husband prior to getting married.

    These women (Lan Xuan, Yi Ping and Yi Xiang) were not decent. It wasn¡¯t surprising to find out that Yi Ping used the same tactics to hook up with Ying Rui.

    Their entire maternal family had the origins of a mistress. They were promoted to their official positions through underhanded means. However, such despicable people are umon. It can be said that it is a trait of the family that leaves others speechless. Their shamelessness knows no bounds!

    In the past, Zi You was shy and reserved. She looked unapproachable. Following Yi Ping¡¯s urgings, Zi You didn¡¯t attend celebratory events or social gatherings. Due to fear of beingbeled a mutt, Zi You was unwilling to associate with nobledies and befriend them.

    All this because Yi Ping said, ¡°Elder sister is not from Great Yan. Thus, these nobledies look down on her. Hummpphh! If I were to guess, it must be because they¡¯re jealous of sister¡¯s stunning appearance. How could thoseicspare to you? You¡¯er, listen to mother; there is no need to concern yourself over them. If they look down on you, it is unnecessary to attempt to please them. What is the point of sticking your hot face on their cold asses?¡±

    (show warm feelings but meet with cold rebuke, to be snubbed despite your enthusiasm)

    Just like this, Zi You became more aloof. Regardless of who she faced, she had a frosty look.

    On the flip side, what did Yi Ping tell the nobledies? Of course, it was a whole different story.

    Yi Ping would never talk about the issue directly. She would always act awkward and say things like, ¡°You¡¯er¡¯s health hasn¡¯t been great. She went to the temple to pray for her mother.¡± Yi Ping made sure that others saw her as a gentle caring mother, while allowing her maidservant to badmouth Zi You behind the scenes.

    The maid servant would secretly spread gossip andin about how difficult Zi You was, making sure those words would reach the ears of the servants and their nobledies¡¯. ¡°Our eldest miss hates these gatherings. She says it¡¯s so boring that she would rather stay at the temple to copy scriptures. Our eldest miss is so unfriendly. She never smiles and treats everyone coldly. Even us servants are frightened of her.¡±

 Chapter 18: Nosebleed

    <h4>Chapter 18: Nosebleed</h4>

    Zi You had no friends because of the malicious rumors. In her previous life, regardless of how terribly the duke treated her, the gossip would antagonize her. People say that she was too cold. Influenced by the crowd, it was no wonder that the duke couldn¡¯t stand her back then.

    When rumors about her and her father-inw started, people would remark that it was her father-inw¡¯s caring and thoughtful actions that melted her frozen heart.

    Because of the rumors, Madam Liu tried to urge Zi You to attend more banquets held by the nobles and create a positive impression. However due to Yi Ping¡¯s and Lan Xuan¡¯s dirty tricks, Zi You became extremely self-conscious at the banquet, embarrassed when people pointed and talked about her looks. She feltpletely defeated when she returned. From then on Zi You no longer listened to any of Madam Liu¡¯s advice and relied on Yi Ping instead.

    Madam Chen met Zi You¡¯s mother before. She knew that even though Zi You¡¯s mother was of unknown origins, she was beautiful. Even so, she was still amazed by her looks when she met Zi You.

    Zi You was wearing a longvender dress with reflective silver thread sewn on the edges. The dress hugged and entuated her figure around the waist. There were tens of flowers sewed on her dress. When she moved, these flowers would reflect a silver light. Her dress was low-key, yet extravagant at the same time.

    Zi You had a silk sash tied in a butterfly knot around her waist. This made her look slender and fragile. Her skin was the same milky white shade as her father. In contrast to the healthy looking bronze color of her mother.

    Zi You had a small, straight nose. Her eyes were deep-set akin to a deep clearke. It also contained a purple glow capable of captivating the soul of others. Her lips looked like moist begonia petals, beautifully sculpted and slightly plump. She had a head of wavy brown hair.

    Despite all this, the most attractive part about her was the noble and cold aura with a hint of sexyziness that she radiated. She lookedposed and polite. Every movement she made was like a dance, elegant and captivating. The slight smile on her face made her look enchanting.

    Madam Chen was secretly shocked. The girl before her was only twelve, however her beauty was enough to make a person¡¯s soul waver. When she grew up, she would be devastating beauty. So beautiful it would cause trouble...

    The mother and son duo was shocked. Simrly, Yi Ping was shocked speechless by Zi You¡¯s elegant appearance and mannerism.

    This little brat had been acting in front of her all along?! She was totally different in terms of dressing and speech. Shouldn¡¯t she be a vulgar and difficult little brat? How did she suddenly be this beautiful?

    This morning, when Zi You pulled Yi Ping along to choose her dress, Yi Ping clearly remembered that ugly bright red dress with yellow flowers that she had specially chosen for Zi You. How did that dress be this dress? How was she not aware when this happened?

    Yi Ping¡¯s shock and the awkward expression of Madam Chen and her son did not escape Zi You¡¯s eyes. She snickered in her heart. On the surface though, she handed Madam Chen a medicated cloth and said softy, ¡°Auntie, there¡¯s blood clotting medicine applied on this gauze. Cover his nose with this and the bleeding will stop in no time.¡±

 Chapter 19: Thoughts about me

    <h4>Chapter 19: Thoughts about me</h4>

    With a voice sweeter than a nightingale, actions filled with poise and manners, Zi You passed the gauze to Madam Chen. From start to end, Zi You did not spare Hong Xiang a single look.

    When she paid her respect to Hong Xiang¡¯s father, she was courteous, respectful and polite.

    ncing proudly at this granddaughter¡¯s actions, Old General Mu fondlymented to his friend, ¡°Zi You might be young, but she is very talented in the arts. Her teacher praised her numerous times, saying her future is unlimited.¡±

    Hong Xiang¡¯s father, the current Duke, had always been interested in the arts. He too was talented in the arts. In the entire Great Yan, he was one of the most famous artist. Even the current emperor kept his paintings.

    Seeing Old General Mu boasting about Zi You¡¯s abilities, he developed a thought about testing her. He wanted to have Zi You paint bamboos.

    Painting bamboo was simple. However, making the bamboos look alive was no easy feat. It depended on the artist¡¯s mentality and creativity. The painting represented the artist while the thoughts are expressed through the strokes of each bamboo.

    Zi You¡¯s technique and simple strokes astonished the Duke. The young girl before him was only around twelve years of age, yet she was painting in a way difficult for some adults to aplish.

    He nods his head as Zi You paints the bamboo leaves. The difficulty level here is being able to convey mood. The positioning of the leaves affects the entire feeling of the painting.

    The Duke was pleased by Zi You¡¯s reaction in the face of hispliments and criticism. Zi You listened to what he had to say with a calm face and humble smile. She did not seem arrogant, annoyed, or disheartened.

    He was thoroughly impressed by her attitude. A young girl with a beautiful appearance and noble aura, after a few years when she bes ady, how outstanding would she be?

    Feeling satisfied and pleased, he waited for Zi You to leave before expressing his thoughts about engaging Zi You to his son.

    Old General Mu was indeed satisfied with Hong Xiang¡¯s appearance; however he was not too sure of his character. Although his old friend was praising Hong Xiang and there was no gossip about Hong Xiang in the capital, Zi You was Old General Mu¡¯s baby. He needed to make sure she¡¯s paired with someone of good character.

    Ever since Zi You recovered, she had changed into apletely different person. She¡¯d put in great effort into learning various arts.

    Outsiders only saw her serene appearance, but Old General Mu knew Zi You had some things hidden in her heart. He did not know what exactly it was. Even to her beloved grandfather, she was not willing to let him know.

    It would be better to ask for her opinion in regards to her marriage. Given how stubborn Zi You was, it would not be viable for him to decide her marriage.

    Ending his inner monologue, Old General Mu joked, ¡°You wish! You¡¯re jealous after seeing my talented granddaughter, aren¡¯t you? You want her to enter your manor? I¡¯m not willing! I want my granddaughter to stay with me till she¡¯s eighteen. Let¡¯s see if your son is capable of waiting.¡±

    The Duke understood that he could not settle the marriage today. Yet this did not stop his son, Hong Xiang, from fantasizing about Zi You.

    Hong Xiang was fifteen. Although this was not old by modern standards, at his age in this present time, most young masters had already epted Tong Fang Ya Tou and understood the matters between men and women.

 Chapter 20: A taste of drowning

    <h4>Chapter 20: A taste of drowning</h4>

    Hong Xiang felt that even if he rounded up all the females in his manor, they could notpare to Zi You. Her beauty and grace wasparable to the fairies in heaven.

    He wanted to see her again. However, after that one time at her Grandfather¡¯s manor, Zi You had left to visit her father. When she returned, she had not left the inner courtyard.

    His mother assisted Hong Xiang and inquired Yi Ping about Zi You¡¯s whereabouts. Yi Ping¡¯s reply was vague, ¡°You¡¯er has to study a lot of things. Father would not let her y around.¡±

    Hong Xiang really wanted to see Zi You. All he wanted to do was demand Zi You present herself. How could he possibly say, ¡°Get Zi You toe over. I want to see her.¡±? He was not a child anymore. Besides, if he dared to even utter his true feelings, Zi You¡¯s family might treat him as a criminal and chase him out, never allowing him to visit ever again.

    After walking aimlessly for half a day, he thought that it was impossible to meet her this way. Zi You was studying. How would he encounter her by walking to random ces?

    However, he could not enter the inner courtyard. It would be unseemly and vulgar of him to walk into a ce filled withdies. If he was caught, punishment wouldn¡¯t be far behind. He had heard of Old General Mu¡¯s nasty temper. It¡¯d be unimaginable if he got caught trespassing.

    Hong Xiang wavered between wanting to slip into the inner courtyard to meet his ¡®beloved¡¯ and the punishment he envisioned he would face if caught.

    Hong Xiang was a pretentious and hypocritical coward. The carbon copy of his mother Madam Chen. He was selfish, shameless, and afraid of death. Sadly, his father couldn¡¯t see through his facade.

    At this moment, Zi You was observing Hong Xiang from a Banyan tree. Seeing him pace and agonize about his decision made her smirk. Beast! If I don¡¯t torture you to death in this lifetime and make you suffer a fate thousand times worse than me, I will enter the depths of hell never to be reincarnated.

    Hong Xiang could never imagine Zi You was hiding atop a Banyan tree covertly observing him. He walked round and round and actually walked towards the lotus pond. Bored, he picked up a stone and threw it into the pond.

    The male servant attending Hong Xiang was called Cheng Cai. He was the one that caused Zi You¡¯s death. Cheng Cai saw his young master sulking and instantly understood his thoughts. After all, he grew up with Hong Xiang and could make urate guesses about Hong Xiang.

    Cheng Cai moved closer to Hong Xiang and suggested, ¡°Young Master, why don¡¯t I sneak into the inner courtyard and take a look? If I see Eldest Miss, I¡¯ll let her know that you¡¯re waiting for her here. What does Young Master think about my idea?¡±

    Hong Xiang¡¯s eyes lit up and he nodded his head. ¡°Be careful. If you get caught, just say you got lost. Do not implicate me.¡±

    Cheh! That¡¯s just like you, pretentious prick! Zi You scolded Hong Xiang in her heart.

    Once Zi You saw Cheng Cai sneak into the inner courtyard, she followed her mother¡¯s manual and started chanting. She made a pushing motion in Hong Xiang¡¯s direction.

    The anxious Hong Xiang felt a force from behind. Before he could react, he fell into the lotus pond.

    It was August. Although the weather was warm, the water in the lotus pond was slightly chilly. Zi You took action to push Hong Xiang because she knew he didn¡¯t know how to swim.

    After falling into the pond with a ¡®thud¡¯, Hong Xiang struggled and shouted for help. In between his shouts, he drank several mouthfuls of dirty pond water.

    A servant girl heard his screams for help and rushed over. Recognizing that it was the Young Master of the Duke¡¯s household, she too started shouting. ¡°Help! The Young Master of the Duke household fell into the pond!¡±

    Thinking that it was time, Zi You used her movement skills to escape. Not long after, she acted as if she had ended her studies and walked over as if she was a passer-by.

 Chapter 21: This is just the beginning

    <h4>Chapter 21: This is just the beginning</h4>

    A maid-servant hurried over to Zi You and informed, ¡°Eldest Miss, something happened. Young master of the Duke¡¯s household fell into the lotus pond!¡±

    Zi You acted concerned and instructed while she headed towards the lotus pond, ¡°Quickly inform my Grandfather and second uncle. Hurry!¡±

    When she reached the pond, she saw Hong Xiang on the verge of drowning. She knew it was time. She untied the silk sash from her waist and threw it at Hong Xiang. ¡°Young Noble, quickly grab the sash. I¡¯ll pull you up!¡±

    Zi You¡¯s voice sounded like a nightingale to Hong Xiang¡¯s ears. Hong Xiang was about to ckout. But when he heard her entreaty, he forced his head up to see a silver-purple sash thrown his way. Weakly, he grabbed onto the sash with his remaining strength.

    Zi You deliberately acted as if she was trying very hard to save him.

    Hong Xiang could not have anticipated this situation. He was embarrassed as he sat on the ground puking dirty pond water. What a sorry figure he presented to Zi You.

    At this moment, Old General Mu, the Duke, Ying Yi, Madam Liu together with Madam Chen and Yi Ping all arrived.

    When Madam Chen saw her son¡¯s miserable state, she couldn¡¯t help but throw herself onto her son wailing, ¡°My son, what happened to you? Why did you fall into the pond for no reason?¡±

    Zi You feigned worry while bowing to the Duke. ¡°Duke, I think he drank a lot of pond water. We should take measures to ensure he doesn¡¯t fall ill.¡±

    Hearing this, the Duke reached towards Hong Xiang¡¯s midsection and began ferociously pressing down on Hong Xiang¡¯s stomach. When the Duke stopped, Hong Xiang had vomited all the vegetable and rice he had for lunch that day.

    Seeing her enemy having a hard time, Zi You felt invigorated. Beast! This is only the beginning. I will have you experience the worst suffering this world has to offer. Although Zi You¡¯s thoughts were vicious, her face only showed concern.

    Hong Xiang¡¯s eyes was blooming with flowers. Even the horrible sensation from his stomach could not stop him from lewdly staring at Zi You. This made the Old General tighten his brows.

    Seeing Hong Xiang tormented to such a state, Zi You was reminded of Cheng Cai, the vicious servant. Although he was merely acting on Hong Xiang¡¯s order, it didn¡¯t make him anymore innocent. Of course, she was unwilling to let her murderer go scott free.

    With those thoughts, she looked at Madam Chen innocently and asked, ¡°Aunty, why does Young Noble not have a servant waiting by his side? This is too dangerous. If anything were to happen, with no one around, there won¡¯t be anyone calling for help on Young Noble¡¯s behalf if he became indisposed.¡±

    Only then did the Duke and his wife remember Cheng Cai. That servant was supposed to be by Hong Xiang¡¯s side. The two questioned their son. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Where is Cheng Cai? Where did that servant go?¡±

    ¡°How dare he leave his Young Master unattended, neglecting him to fall into the pond! Wait till I deal with him.¡± Madam Chen said with a sinister look.

    How could Hong Xiang possibly tell the truth? ¡°Cheng Cai said he had a stomach ache. How would I know where he went?¡± He lied.

    Just as Zi You expected, he¡¯s a hypocritical viin. Zi You mocked while maintaining an amiable smile, ¡°Our manor is huge. Maybe he got lost.¡±

    As she was talking, Zi You¡¯s servants had captured and detained Cheng Cai. They were walking him towards the group. They reported, ¡°Old Master, we found this thief loitering around Eldest Miss¡¯ courtyard. He was restrained by us on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Cheng Cai?¡± The Duke and his wife turned around and eximed ¡°Why were you there?¡±

 Chapter 22: The scum fell sick

    <h4>Chapter 22: The scum fell sick</h4>

    Madam Chen was so angry. Her brows furrowed and her eyeballs looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. However, she did not want to make a scene and lose face in the General¡¯s manor. She could only scold, ¡°You little beast! Are you a pig? How did you manage to get lost and wonder into the inner courtyard at your age! Did you know that your Young Master almost drowned to death? Damn servant! See how I¡¯ll deal with you when we get back. Apologize to the Old General now!¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± coughed the Duke. He became embarrassed as his wife rashly condemned the servant; she even showed such a scary expression in public. He awkwardly apologized to the Old General. ¡°It was us that spoiled this servant. We¡¯ll definitely deal with him properly and hold him ountable for his actions.¡±

    At least the Duke was more sensible than his wife. He did not try to evade responsibility and make excuses for Cheng Cai nor make light of the matter by trying to resolve it with just an apology.

    Despite that, Old General Mu became very upset. If this incident got out, the reputation of his dear granddaughter would be damaged.

    The Old General¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yes. This is a serious issue. A servant such as Cheng Cai should not be attending Young Noble¡¯s side. He will be a bad influence. It¡¯s better to sell him off.¡±

    The Duke immediately understood what the Old General meant. This caused his blood to boil. He lost face because of this servant.

    That servant! He¡¯s trying to ruin things for me.

    The Duke was pleased with Zi You despite her young age. She was well brought up. Girls like her were umon. Plus, she saved his son. By using her sash to help him out of the water, she disyed an adaptable and quick wit that the other people present did not possess.

    However, him being keen on Zi You was useless. Old General must first be satisfied with his son. Now that they¡¯re in this situation, there¡¯s no way Old General Mu would be satisfied with Hong Xiang.

    The Duke¡¯s face was red with embarrassment as he left the General¡¯s manor with his family.

    Before the Duke left, Zi You had hurried back to her courtyard to retrieve a packet of flower powder used to cure diarrhea and handed it to the Duke. ¡°This powder is made from Hero Flower. If Young Noble has diarrhea or stomach ache tonight, mix this with water and drink it. It is very effective.¡±

    (Note: Hero Flowers aka poppies)

    It is indeed very effective. This flower had not yet been brought to Great Yan. Even the top physicians here did not know what its uses were.

    However, the powder packet Zi You was giving the Duke was extremely concentrated. Once Hong Xiang consumes it a couple of times, he would be addicted. He would never be able to stay away from it again.

    Zi You looked at the Duke, his wife and Hong Xiang with a gentle smile. She swore in her heart that she would make them wish they were dead for treating her so horribly. In the past life, they schemed and strangled her to death while she was pregnant. Now, she would let them experience suffering and live a miserable life worse than beggars.

    As Zi You predicted, Hong Xiang experienced stomachache and vomiting during the night. The Duke took out the Hero Flower powder. He was about to mix it with water for his son to drink when his hand was stopped by his wife.

    ¡°Such a youngss, not even a physician, how could we trust her? What if she misdiagnoses our son? It would be better to summon an imperial doctor.¡±

 Chapter 23: The cold-hearted, cold-blooded angel

    <h4>Chapter 23: The cold-hearted, cold-blooded angel</h4>

    The imperial doctor was summoned to the Duke¡¯s manor in the middle of the night. He wrote down his prescription and had the servants boil the medicinal herbs. He then personally fed the medicinal soup to Hong Xiang. Not even ten minutes after drinking the soup, Hong Xiang vomited it out again.

    Hong Xiang¡¯s servant reported the incident to the Duke. ¡°Master, Young Master is currently unable to keep anything down. What he drinks, he would puke out. What should we do?¡±

    The Duke was fuming. Since the doctor¡¯s prescription didn¡¯t work, he¡¯ll use another one. He ignored his wife¡¯s discouragement and fed the poppy-water mixture to Hong Xiang.

    The results were instantaneous. The servants noted that Hong Xiang did not puke after drinking the mixture. Forty-five minutester, the servants informed his parents that Hong Xiang had recovered; he no longer had a stomach ache and stopped vomiting.

    Hong Xiang however kept one thing hidden. He not only felt better, he felt like he was on cloud nine. It was as if he was floating in the skies. Whatever he wanted, he got. Even the Zi You which he was fantasizing about seemed to have appeared in front of him. He had never experienced such a feeling. It was amazing!

    Meanwhile, at the General¡¯s household, once Old General Mu sent the Duke¡¯s family off he called Zi You to his study. He asked Zi You directly, ¡°Was your impression of Hong Xiang that good?¡±

    Zi You widened her eyes in feigned ignorance. ¡°Grandfather why would you say that? Did I do something wrong?¡±

    Old General Mu was pleased that his granddaughter was only being polite to Hong Xiang and not favoring him. ¡°You¡¯er didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It is that the Duke¡¯s first impression of you was good. He suggested that you be his daughter-inw.

    ¡°I also think that Hong Xiang likes you. He¡¯s been staring at you for the whole afternoon. However, I¡¯m not very pleased with how lewd he¡¯s acting as a Young Noble.¡±

    Acting bashful, Zi You nced at Old General Mu and grumbled, ¡°Grandfather, You¡¯er is still young. Why are you telling me this? I didn¡¯t notice Young Noble. I only saved him because he looked frightened. In the future, You¡¯er will take care not to pay too much attention to strange Young Nobles. You¡¯er doesn¡¯t want to marry. I want to take care of Grandfather my entire life.¡±

    Hearing these words from his granddaughter, Old General Mu¡¯s eyes reddened. He was touched. ¡°Nonsense. How can a girl not marry? However, it is true that you are still young. There is no rush to marry. Grandfather will select the best husband for you.¡±

    Good husband? As if they exist. Other than Grandfather and Second Uncle, all those other men have countless concubines. Her own father was a cold-hearted and selfish man. Though blood rted, her father would never measure up to Grandfather or Second Uncle.

    All Zi You wished for was an inseparable true love that she could live with until their hair turns white. However, that wish was unlikely to happen. Thus, she decided that in this lifetime she would no longer be troubled by matters of the heart.

    Having thought to here, Zi You pounce into her grandfather¡¯s embrace and whined, ¡°Grandfather, if in the future you ever find a boy as good as yourself or Second Uncle, I might consider. Otherwise, please let me take care of you my entire life. Please don¡¯t chase me away.¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s heart melted. He patted her back dotingly andughed. ¡°Good, good, good. I won¡¯t ever chase you away.¡±

    Although Old General Mu said that with a smile on his face, in his heart, he felt sorry for Zi You. He knew that his eldest son was a terrible person and Ying Rui¡¯s action had negatively affected Zi You¡¯s perspective on marriage. Otherwise, why is Zi You so against marriage?

    What Old General Mu did not know was that Zi You had already experienced two lives. The betrayal and hurt she experienced had transformed her into a totally different person; a cold hearted and ruthless woman who hated men.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24</h4>

    Tranted by Air11

    Unedited

    The delicate, kindhearted, and easily trustable Mu Ziyou had already been murdered by those vicious bastards with no morals.

    ?

    At this moment, the person in his arms was a vengeful angel.

    ?

    A full moon was slowly rose. The silver moonlight shone on the silky and soft clouds, creating a beautiful sight.

    ?

    Ziyou gazed at the green scenery outside through her frosted window. She imagined that during this year¡¯s Mid-autumn festival on the 15th, Wang Yiping would, from a beautiful, young, and blissful slut, turn into a woman abandoned by her husband. Once she left the scene, she couldn¡¯t stifle herughter anymore and let out a loudugh.

    ?

    The matter is as such. Every year the Mid-autumn festival arrives once. Since time immemorial, the Mid-autumn festival and the Spring festival have been a time to reunite with your family. Mu Yingrui doesn¡¯t qualify as a person but he also doesn¡¯t dare to not return to the manor on these two holidays.

    ?

    As the proverb goes, when newlywed couples are separated, their love only grows sweeter. Mu Yingrui and Wang Yiping, who have been separated for close to half a year, are not exceptions.

    ?

    Unexpectedly, Wang Yiping¡¯s face featured two dull scars. It was unknown whether her fox-like charms were high enough or if Mu Yingrui would agree with the sentence, ¡°Regardless of whether a person is beautiful or ugly, they are wless in the eyes of their lover. In summary, once he returns, it will seem like he and his second wife are glued at the knees, creating an irresolvable situation.

    ?

    Looking at Wang Yiping¡¯s lust-filled eyes which were like a wilted flower that was revitalised after a heavy rainfall, Ziyou couldn¡¯t help but to feel nauseous.

    ?

    Recalling her previous life, this woman seemed to have be pregnant during the Mid-Autumn Festival. 10 monthster, she gave birth to Mu Yingrui¡¯s eldest son. Soon after, she gave birth to another two sons and a young girl which enabled her to sit in the position of the First Lady that she had chased after for so long.

    ?

    During Wang Yiping¡¯s pregnancy, Mu Yingrui also requested for four titles to be bestowed on her.

    ?

    Once Ziyou pondered to this point, all the blood in her body froze! In this life, I won¡¯t let you give birth to children!

    ?

    Without children to depend on and after losing Mu Yingrui¡¯s love, if you want to livefortably, it will certainly be difficult.

    On the night of the Mid-autumn festival, the whole manor gathered together to eat mooncakes and admire the moon. Speaking of this, she should also send Mu Yingrui a big gift.

    The only thing is, this present must make Wang Yiping so angry she pukes blood. Only then will it let her relieve some of her grievances.

    Ziyou found Madam Liu Shi supervising the kitchen. She threw herself into her embrace like a spoiled child, ¡°Second Madam, for the banquet during this year¡¯s Mid-autumn festival, do you have any new arrangements?¡±

    Liu Shi looked at her niece who was growing more and more beautiful and tenderly smiled before speaking: ¡°Eating mooncakes, admiring the moon, setting off fireworks. Other than these, what else can there be? What, does our You¡¯er have a good idea?¡±

    Ziyou¡¯s eyes were extremely alluring as she stared at Liu Shi. Her voice was soft and sweet, and her breath smelled like orchids. ¡°If Second Madam trusts You¡¯er, then let You¡¯er arrange the Mid-autumn banquet? Do we still want guests this year?¡±

    Liu Shi nodded her head. ¡°Yes? Dad has those close friends and subordinates, and there¡¯s also your father. Although Uncle¡¯s close friends from school can¡¯te on the 15th because their own familes have arranged a gathering, on the 16th and 17th each family will host a feast for guests. Your grandfather might want to invite them? You¡¯er, how do you want to arrange it?¡±

    Ziyou slightly smiled. This smile was like a lotus blooming, both refined and elegant. ¡°Second Madam, You¡¯er won¡¯t tell you right now. Wait until the 15th and 16th and you¡¯ll see. Niece won¡¯t let you down.¡±

    Liu Shi stroked Ziyou¡¯s white, sleek, and tender little face. An indulging smile appeared on her face, ¡°Good. With You¡¯er helping Second Madam with her business, Second Madam is freed from trouble now. Go, let¡¯s go tell your grandfather and let him cheer up.¡±

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25</h4>

    Tranted by Air11

    Unedited

    ¡°Good.¡± Zi You didn¡¯t voice an objection and dragged Liu Shi towards her grandfather¡¯s study.

    ?

    She knew that it wasn¡¯t that Liu Shi didn¡¯t trust her and feared that she would ruin it; she would take responsibility. Instead, it was because Liu Shi didn¡¯t know whether or not Old General Mu would let her look after the arrangements.

    ?

    Liu Shi noticed that her schedule was full with no free time. You don¡¯t need to learn knowledge like your life depends on it. Her heart ached.

    ?

    Even the people taking the pce examinations didn¡¯t work as hard as Zi You nor had her mentality of studying as if her life depended on it. The Lord worried about her and constantly found ways for her to nourish her body.

    When Old General Mu heard that Zi You wanted to organize the Mid-Autumn banquet, he nkly stared at her.

    Immediately, he asked in a concerned tone, ¡°Do you have time? Every day you study so muchte into the night. You want to learn how to manage the household this soon. You¡¯er, you can¡¯t be anxious to get married? ¡°

    ?

    Marriage! In my previous reincarnation, I married a scum. He made me suffer all kinds of pain and tribtions. In this reincarnation, I will never trust any men except for Grandfather and Second Uncle.

    ?

    As Zi You secretly swore an oath in her heart, her smiling expression didn¡¯t change, like still water that was free of any ripples. ¡°Granddaughter doesn¡¯t want to marry. I want to stay by Grandfather¡¯s side for a lifetime.¡±

    ?

    This was the second time Zi You told Old General Mu that she didn¡¯t want to get married. Thest time, Old General Mu thought she said it out of hate. However, this time, he felt that his granddaughter was proiming her decision.

    Old General Mu felt a bit of uneasiness. In his heart he surmised, could his granddaughter not trust men because his son drugged her?

    ?

    This isn¡¯t good. This year Zi You is 10 years old. In October, she¡¯ll turn 11. Next year they¡¯ll discuss marriage, and after another two or three years they¡¯ll marry. If she doesn¡¯t want to marry, how can this be good?

    ?

    It looks like he needs to think of methods to let her have more interactions with good men. But who among the noble sons can wholeheartedly treat You¡¯er well?

    ?

    The old general considered each of the noble sons in the capital. He furrowed his eyebrows and was in deep thought for a long time. Even then, he couldn¡¯t find a perfect man who could be an appropriate partner for his granddaughter.

    ?

    Atst, he pped his thigh and decided that during this years Mid-Autumn Festival, he¡¯ll request some more noble sons toe and apany his granddaughter.

    ?

    Of course he concealed this matter from You¡¯er and secretly had Second Uncle prepare this.

    ?

    Zi You wasn¡¯t aware of her grandfather¡¯s idea. The reason why she requested to organize the Mid-Autumn banquet was only to wee a women who stood out from the masses, to destroy Wang Yiping¡¯s love towards Mu Yingrui, to not let Wang Yiping impregnate her, and to not let her give birth to a son.

    ?

    If you want to find a woman that stands out from the masses, you cannot stay in the general¡¯s mansion. You have to take a trip outside yourself.

    ?

    When Zi You told Old General Mu that she wanted to leave, he instinctively blocked her, ¡°How is it possible? You¡¯re a young girl. If you went out and became a target of some bad people, how is that good? ¡°

    ?

    Zi You knew her grandfather wouldn¡¯t happily agree for her to leave. Thus, without any anxiety, she smiled and asked, ¡°Then what is the use of studying martial arts with you? If I can¡¯t even deal with some bad people, how will I fight alongside you on a battlefield? ¡°

    ?

    Old General Mu only just understood what his granddaughter¡¯s purpose in learning martial arts was. Astonished, he red at his eldest son, ¡°Nonsense! How can a girl go to the battlefield and kill people? ¡°

    ?

    ¡°Why not?¡± Zi You replied, ¡°Is Mother not a woman? The things Mother can do, why can¡¯t You¡¯er do? ¡°

    ?

    Speaking to here, ayer of mist emerged on her eyes that shone like crystals. ¡°Grandfather, mother isn¡¯t here anymore, so I¡¯ll shoulder Mother¡¯s responsibility. I¡¯ll guard Grandfather and Second Uncle, saving you from death and healing your injuries. ¡°

 Chapter 26 A Stroll in the Market

    <h4>Chapter 26 A Stroll in the Market</h4>

    These words made Old General Mu¡¯s tears flow and heartforted. His granddaughter was only twelve-years-old and was so sensible and filial already. How could he bear to hurt her?

    Old General Mu gently embraced Zi You in his arms. He said with pity, ¡°Your mother was a descendant of a goddess. She had the power toe back to life. But you...¡±

    ¡°Grandfather, I am also a descendant of the goddess. I also have powers.¡± Old General Mu¡¯s words weren¡¯t finished before Zi You interrupted him.

    She looked at her grandfather and firmly said: ¡°You¡¯ll see eventually. You¡¯er currently cannote back to life, but one day, You¡¯er will be able to. Grandfather, You¡¯er vowed in front of mother¡¯s tomb: I will protect you and second uncle. I will definitely not let grandfather or second uncle die! You¡¯er want you two to live long lives!¡±

    Looking at his granddaughter¡¯s firm eyes and listening to her sonorous and forceful vow, Old General Mu could no longer bear to stop Zi You. He emotionally told Mu Ying Yi and Liu Shi to arrange Zi You¡¯s matter of leaving the Manor.

    In Zi You¡¯s previous life, she did not like Autumn. She always thought Autumn¡¯s beauty was a little bleak. ¡°From where topose sorrow, Autumn is in the heart of parting people.¡± In the Fall, the heart was worried. One could not see geese flying by in a V-shape. One also could not see the invisible summer worm going by. One just felt an inexplicable loneliness and could not escape the sad impression.

    It¡¯s just that today, when she was strolling in the market, she saw a few white clouds asionally floating by in the blue sky and a few swarms of happy birds flying by. In the distance, gradual shades of reds and yellows intermingled with the green mountains. The cool Autumn wind brought about a sense of leisure rxation. Due to the harvest of fruits and vegetables, even the farmers¡¯ noise was full of pride and joy. All of this caused her dislike of Autumn to lessen and mood to improve.

    Her first-ranked head servant girls, Shui Yun, Hai Yun, Shi Yun and Mo Yun, chattered like four little happy bees, flying East and West, looking at this and touching that.

    Zi You smiled while looking at these four little girls aged twelve- to fourteen-years- old. Then she unconsciously frowned after thinking about the servant girl, Yan Hong, who betrayed her in her previous life.

    Currently, among her head servant girls, there was the fourteen-year-old Shi Yun and Mo Yun, the thirteen-year-old Hai Yun, and the twelve-year-old Shui Yun. Among the four second-rank servant girls, there was Ruo Xue, Ruo Yu, Ruo Yun, and Ruo Shaung. Among the rougher-duty servant girls, there was Xiao Chun, Xiao Xia, Xiao Qiu, and Xiao Dong. There was no Yan Hong.

    It seemed like Yan Hong appeared after Zi You participated in Wang Yiping¡¯s maternal family, Ying Guo Gong Manor¡¯s, Chrysanthemum Feast held after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Ying Guo Gong Manor¡¯s fifth young master, who was also Wang Yiping¡¯s Shu [concubine-born] brother, molested Shi Yun drunkenly. Ying Guo Gong Manor¡¯s legitimate wife, to keep peace, asked for Shi Yun to be the yiniang [concubine] of the fifth young master. Aspensation, she gave Wang Yiping¡¯s yiniang¡¯s servant girl Yan Hong to Zi You.

    At that time, regardless of Shi Yun¡¯s desperate crying and begging, she not only gave Shi Yun away to Wang Yiping¡¯s Shu brother to be yiniang, she also, under Wang Yiping¡¯s coercion, gave Shi Yun a hard p.

    Afterwards, because Yan Hong could speak well and work efficiently, she was quickly promoted from a second-rank servant to a first-ss one.

    Afterwards, Zi You gradually trusted Yan Hong, and treated Mo Yun, Hai Yun, and Shui Yun more and more distantly. Eventually, when she married into Yongnan Marquis¡¯ Manor, she only brought the youngest Shui Yun with her after, marrying Mo Yun and Hai Yun away.

    She really was stupid in her previous life. These four first-ss servant girls had been with her since they were young. How could she alienate herself from them and listen to Yan Hong¡¯s words?

    There¡¯s only half a month before she would see the servant who betrayed her, the servant who was worse than pigs and dogs. Zi You¡¯s pupils slightly squinted and she smiled a cold sneer.

 Chapter 27 The First Encounter at the Market

    <h4>Chapter 27 The First Encounter at the Market</h4>

    Wang Yiping, this time I must protect Shi Yun and not let her be defiled by your beast of a brother. I want to see how you would send Yan Hong to me?

    But that wicked servant, I would find a way to get her to be on my side.

    Wang Yiping, I would let you experience what it means to have your own means used against you. I would definitely let you experience the wonderful taste of being betrayed by one of your own people.

    After thinking about all that she did to Shi Yun, Zi You felt guilty.

    Looking at her own servant girls pointing to the street stalls, the handmade y-people figures, concentric knots, kites, paper cut-outs, embroidery, and masks, she couldn¡¯t help but softly said, ¡°You guys take a look. Whatever you like, I will buy for you.¡±

    The four girls heard, gratefully looked at Zi You, and embarrassedly shook their heads.

    Indeed, since their Xiaojie [Young Lady, Miss] recovered from her illness, she was very good to them. Not to mention the food or jewelry she bestowed on them, she also taught them to read and learn martial arts. She was amiable and never lost her temper.

    The really liked this kind of Xiaojie. Although the old Xiaojie would reward them, her eyes when she looked at them held a scornful contempt.

    But now Xiaojie treated them like rtives. Her warm and soft eyes seemed to be able to see straight into their hearts.

    Seeing someone kneading flour dough figures, the four girls and Zi You went over.

    The person making dough figures was a nearly sixty-year-old man, dressed in shabby clothes, sitting in front of ragged bamboo baskets.

    Picking up some flour dough, he rubbed and knead and used a small bamboo knife to cut and carve a body, face, hands, hair and clothing. Instantly, an artistic lifelike figure waspleted.

    Zi You looked at the old man¡¯s thin and helpless hands and her eyes dimmed. She asked softly, ¡°This elder, can you make figures of us five?¡±

    What a beautiful voice! It was like an Oriole singing. The old man looked up in amazement and was stunned when he saw Zi You.

    The little girl in front of him had eyes like two deep purple crystals in clear waters. They were clear and bright. The corner of her eyes lightly swept upwards.

    She was wearing a pale blue dress, with a noble temperament. Her skin was white like snow, simr to a lotus breaking through the surface of water: beautiful.

    The old man didn¡¯t speak. He put down the work in his hand and picked up new dough. He started kneading and pretty soon a dough figure resembling Zi You was created.

    Zi You found it strange. She was wearing a hat, with only her eyes revealed. A veil covered the rest of her face below the eyes. This old man could depict her cold and noble temperament so closely. Even her high tiny nose and petal-like lips were very simr.

    Zi You was amazed. Commoners were really hidden tigers, crouching dragons. A humble craftsman was actually a master of sculpture.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t bear to put it down and hadn¡¯t yet spoken in admiration before someone snatched the dough figure away. ¡°This dough figure, Ye [Lord] wants. How much money?¡±

    The voice resembled a duck¡¯s voice, due to the man changing his voice.

    This man knew martial arts and he was a better martial artist than herself. Zi You immediately realized these two points. Because this person¡¯s movements were fast as lightning, as soon as she realized someone came over, the dough figure in her hand was already snatched away. She didn¡¯t have any time to react.

    No wonder Grandfather was not reassured to let her go out by herself. Before exchanging moves, she already lost the first opportunity. Indeed, in the world there were people better than oneself. Knowledge was endless, as was martial arts. It seemed she still needed to work hard!

 Chapter 28 Next Time, He Would Definitely Find Her Unforgettable in His Lifetime

    <h4>Chapter 28 Next Time, He Would Definitely Find Her Unforgettable in His Lifetime</h4>

    What a waste! Zi You thought with a ck-belly [outwardly kind, inwardly evil], ¡°Look at his actions befitting a dog. He is so overbearing he must be some family¡¯s dandy.¡±

    Zi You stared at the person with the duck¡¯s voice who snatched her dough figure away, annoyed.

    Zi You¡¯s four servant girls looked at this gongzi [Sir, Mister] with straight eyes. Oh, Mother! That day all the servant girls of the General¡¯s Manor gathered to whisper about how Yongnan Marquis¡¯ Shizi [Heir to Marquis title] was handsome. Now it seemed as if he wasn¡¯t even worthy of carrying shoes for this gongzi!

    This dandy-ish gongzi¡¯s face was handsome beyondpare. His facial features were carved in distinct angles. His appearance seemed licentious and casual, but his eyes were clear and filled with energy. It made people afraid to underestimate him.

    A lush head of crow-ck hair was bunched with a white jade crown. He had a pair of sword-like eyebrows over slender Phoenix eyes, with ebony pupils full of evil charm. If not careful, one would fall into those eyes.

    He had a high nose and thick red lips. Wearing a smile that¡¯s not a smile on his tall, straight, graceful figure, he was dressed in a long white robe embroidered with silver thread pattern. This fifteen- or sixteen-year-old teenager had subtle sensual charm.

    Listening to Zi You speak about the dough figure she asked the old man to make, the teenager sneered with ridicule in his eyes. He nced at the dough figure in his hand and then at Zi You. Then he threw it to her and coldly said, ¡°Heng! What broken toy? Just like you, ugly to death!¡±

    After he finished, he turned and left.

    Zi You was angered. She took the dough figure and threw it hard at the back of the head of the teenager.

    Dare to call this xiaojie ugly? I¡¯ll smash to you death!

    Zi You used half of her internal force. The speed and strength of the dough figure weren¡¯t too different from those who knew martial arts.

    Only, it was as if the teenager had eyes on the back of his head. The dough figure didn¡¯t even hit the back of his head yet, but he already turned around and caught it. He jokingly said, ¡°This is what you give Ye. Although it¡¯s a bit ugly, but on ount you took the initiative to throw it into my arms, Ye will reluctantly ept it.¡±

    He finished speaking and howling withughter, sloppily and crookedly walked away.

    He left behind Zi You who was angered to death. She bit her lip and swore to herself, ¡°This bastard! Next time, don¡¯t let me meet you. Or, if I can¡¯t openly win against you, I will still make myself unforgettable to you in this lifetime!¡±

    Zi You¡¯s pair of angry beautiful pupils red hard at the teenager¡¯s back, as if she wanted to stare a hole into his back.

    After she bought what she needed at the market, she changed into male clothing and went to a brothel.

    Her four first-ranked servant girls were so scared they couldn¡¯t speak for a long time.

    Finally, Shi Yun gathered enough courage to whisper, ¡°Xiaojie, you can¡¯te here. If Lao Tai Ye [Literally: Elderly Gentleman, how servants refer to Old General Mu] finds out, you can nevere out again.¡±

    Zi You slightly smiled. Dressed in a light gray silver robe and wearing a silver crown, Zi You was as beautiful as the moon. ¡°He¡± was a peerless beauty with a quiet and elegant temperament. ¡°Silly girl, you guys don¡¯t tell, I don¡¯t tell. How would Grandfather know I came here?¡±

    Shi Yun nced at the carriage driver and worriedly whispered, ¡°But Fang Dasheng is Laoye¡¯s trusted confidante and soldier. Would he not tell?¡±

    Fang Dasheng followed Old General Mu for six or seven years. His martial arts were unpredictable, like Gods appearing and devils vanishing. He never said too many words.

    It seemed that before the departure today, Old General Mu ordered him, ¡°No matter what Xiaojie wants to do, don¡¯t stop her. If not at a crucial time, you do not need to help.¡± Indeed, after hearing Shi Yun¡¯s words, his head was down as if he didn¡¯t see anything. He didn¡¯t speak either.

 Chapter 29 Purchasing People [1]

    <h4>Chapter 29 Purchasing People [1]</h4>

    Zi You walked in to stand in front of him and softly said, ¡°Fang Shiwei [(Imperial) Bodyguard, Soldier], if you want to see me punished by grandfather or grandfather to get angry, then you can tell him about what happened today. Otherwise, keep quiet.¡±

    Without waiting for Fang Dasheng to reply, she walked into the biggest geisha building, Chuyao Guan.

    The women at Chuyao Guan sold their talents and not their bodies. The women all had beautiful delicate waists, like willows, lovely and moving. Of course, whether it came to singing, dancing, ying instrumental music, zither and chess, or painting; the women here would not lost to daughters of noble families.

    It was currently broad daylight and although there weren¡¯t as many guests as the nighttime, there were still sounds of music and feasts; very lively and entertaining.

    Dressed in flirtatious and moving clothing, those vying for beauty and attention sang, danced and yed music. Narrow willow waists swaying made those guests unable to stop pping and shouting.

    This was the city of Jingdu. There were plenty of wealthy idlers who ran here for entertainment in the middle of the day. Zi You unconsciously twisted her lip, feeling indignant for grandfather, uncle, and those stationed at the border all year-long.

    ¡°Ye, you¡¯ve came. Wee inside!¡± Zi You hadn¡¯t arrived for a minute yet, when the female brothel keeper warmly came forward.

    She was amazed seeing Zi You¡¯s appearance. This little gongzi was very handsome! Even the most beautiful woman in Chuyao Guan was notparable.

    How did those eyes grow? Even gems and crystals were not as sparkling and translucent or bright and deep.

    The proprietress stared at Zi You¡¯s eyes, seemingly mesmerized, and did not speak for a time.

    Zi You finally asked, ¡°Madam, do you have someone here who had not received a guest yet [Qingguan]?¡±

    The old proprietress came to and answered, ¡°Yes, we have, we have. Gongzi, pleasee inside. What kind of woman do you want? One who can sing, dance, y zither, or paint? Even if you want one who can perform eighteen kinds of martial arts, we have here too. But the price will be more expensive.¡±

    Zi You was toozy to speak in circles with her. She directly said, ¡°One who can dance is fine. Fetch me all the Qingguan who can dance. This Ye wants to personally select.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Gongzi, please wait. I will go find all the Qingguan who can dance here. Xiao Taohong, quickly serve gongzi some tea.¡±

    Zi you deliberately lowered her voice. She sessfully tricked the old proprietress into thinking she was some wealthy family¡¯s son looking for a dancer to entertain guests at home.

    In a few moments, the proprietress led twenty-one or twenty-two girls over, aged twelve or thirteen to fifteen or sixteen.

    She smiled at Zi You, ¡°Gongzi has good eyesight! It¡¯s not that I¡¯m boasting, but our Qingguan here at Chuyao Guan are all top-notch.¡±

    She pulled out a fifteen-year-old girl with charming and enchanting looks. She boasted, ¡°Luxiu is a Qingguan and dances the best here. She is just about to receive a guest. Gongzi, do you want her to dance for you to see? Luxiu¡¯s long-sleeved dance is very good.¡±

    If it was very good, then the price must be ¡°good¡± too. For Mu Ying Rui, that scumbag, was he worth her spending a few thousand silvers?

    Zi You coldly smiled in her heart. Leaning back on the chair, shezily said, ¡°Don¡¯t need to dance one-by-one. Let the girls all dance together.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The proprietress wisely stayed quiet, immediately going to find a musician. Whatever the guest needed, they would provide. That was the rule of this business.

 Chapter 30 Purchasing People [2]

    <h4>Chapter 30 Purchasing People [2]</h4>

    More flowery descriptions to trante... (?_??)]

    Soon, musicians carrying chimes, Yao zithers, Guzheng, flutes, and other musical instruments came in. Great Yan¡¯s traditional music ¡°Yun Shui Jian¡± yed.

    The girls danced with the music. Imitating clouds and flowing water, numerous white satins gently swayed with the music. It was like countless butterflies apanying the music, graceful as dragons and flying like geese. The song was like a flowing stream in the mountains and the dancing butterflies were like fairies. Even their hair was dancing.

    Very beautiful! Zi You noticed a girl between fourteen to fifteen years old. Her waist was especially soft. Her dance, unlike others, held a hint of sadness.

    The girl¡¯s facial features had character and weren¡¯t particrly beautiful. But there was something abnormally enchanting about her.

    Zi You had never seen Cao Xueqin¡¯s character, Lin DaiYu [from Dream of the Red Chamber], or she would have thought this was the living version of her.

    Two curved smoky eyebrows, a pair of happy, yet unhappy eyes; a hint of worry on her face from an illness; specks of glistening tears, faint breathing. She was calm like flowers in water. Her actions like a weak wind.

    Compared to Wang Yiping¡¯s ample charms, this girl was fragile and delicate. Zi You wondered who would be better able to entice Mu Ying Rui, that g man.

    Zi You didn¡¯t say anything and watched the dancing, having made up her mind already. Without staring at the girl, she merely flicked her eyes once towards her. ¡°Proprietress, what is the price?¡±

    The proprietress stared nkly, but immediately smiled. ¡°Gongzi, you want all of them? If not, who do you fancy? The price is negotiable.¡±

    Treating me like a kid to be coaxed? If I really said who I fancied, you would ask for sky-high prices.

    Zi You faintly smiled. Her dark pupils held ridicule. She coldly spat out, ¡°The price.¡±

    The proprietress gnashed her teeth and helplessly said, ¡°Luxiu is 1,600 silvers and the one in red is 1,500 silvers...¡±

    Finally, she knew the sickly Xishi [One of the four legendary beauties of China] was called ZiDai. They turned out to share even the same character in their names. [The ¡°Zi¡± is the same in both their names]

    Among the twenty-two girls, her price was the lowest, at 420 silvers. The reason was, of course, she was sick.

    The ¡°Dai¡± in her name was also the same as Lin ¡°Dai¡±Yu¡¯s. Both had bronchial asthma, a problem of the lungs.

    Zi You bargained to death, speaking about how dangerous and serious the disease was. In the end, it was a bargain at 310 silvers. She sessfully obtained ZiDai¡¯s very deeds.

    Zi You felt that, for that scum Mu Ying Rui, even 300 silvers was a waste.

    Zu You changed Zidai¡¯s name to YouLian and took her onto the horse carriage.

    After asking, Zi You found out herst name was originally ¡°Shui.¡± She was an official family¡¯s xiaojie. Although could not be considered proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she was still skilled.

    Her father was originally an official in the Shaanxi Province. He was beheaded because of corruption. The whole family was demoted to ves. Some were killed, some were jailed and some were sold. Her mother died of excessive sorrow on their journey to banishment. She was taken by traffickers and after several rounds of reselling, came to be Chuyao Guan¡¯s Qingguan.

    Zi You whispered a lot of words into YouLian¡¯s ears. Finally, she confidently told her, ¡°You just have to do what I tell you. I promise to cure your disease. I guarantee you, for the rest of your life, you would have support in the General¡¯s Manor.¡±

    Shui YouLian repeatedly nodded her head. Finally, she shyly said, ¡°I will listen to Xiaojie. I will never betray Xiaojie.¡±

    In the carriage, she found out Zi You was female when thetter reverted back to female clothing. Shui YouLian needed toe up with ns to obtain Mu Ying Rui¡¯s doting and go up against the legitimate wife.

 Chapter 31 Purchasing People [3], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 31 Purchasing People [3], Part 1</h4>

    *I have decided to separate chapters into two parts and do my best to trante a chapter part a day!

    *¡°Xiaojie¡± (capitalized) is a proper noun, referring to someone specifically

    ¡°xiaojie¡± (lower-case) is amon noun, referring generally]

    She was, after all, once the daughter of an official¡¯s family. She had seen fighting between her father¡¯s wives and concubines before.

    Towards her stepmother, this xiaojie was considered to be polite. She only asked herself topete for favor and not to harm her stepmother.

    Of course she needed to fight for favor. Even if this xiaojie did not order her to, she would still give it her all. Only with the man¡¯s love and doting would you have a leg to stand on in the house. Finally, she had to find ways to give birth to a son. That was what she could rely on for life.

    Shui YouLian sat in the carriage, thinking about life in the future, at times looking forward to it and at times apprehensive, excited, and nervous.

    No matter what, she was no longer a lowly geisha. Even if she was only the yiniang of a fourth-ranked official, it was still better than being a geisha.

    Zi You looked at Shui YouLian¡¯s bright eyes and revealed a cold smile.

    Wang Yiping, the gift for Mu Ying Rui on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, would make you painful enough to crave death!

    The horse galloped along. They soon arrived at Great Yan¡¯s Jingdu¡¯s Yue Cheng, thergest ve market.

    Zi You took a look and couldn¡¯t help but be depressed. It really was a hell on earth.

    Males and females, old and young, all ragged, were mostly sluggish and desperate. They were all like living dead.

    Only a few innocent children cried and were noisy. They didn¡¯t know yet their futures would no longer be innocent or carefree.

    The four maidservants, who did not know why their Xiaojie wanted toe here and see the ves¡¯ miserable conditions, were feeling empathetic. Only Zi You expressionlessly walked towards some eight- to twelve-year-old female ves and examined carefully.

    Chapter 31 Purchasing People [3] Part 2

    A thirty-seven or thirty-eight-year-old man was selling these female ves.

    Seeing Zi You wearing Great Yan¡¯s most expensive rainbow-colored brocade dress and a veil, even if he couldn¡¯t see below her eyes, that pair of crystal clear, deep amethyst eyes, deeper than clear springs, along with her calm and collected demeanor all left a deep impression on him.

    He unconsciously stared at Zi You, astonished. What beautiful eyes. Just looking at them was enough to hook your soul away. If her whole face was seen, what kind of heart-stopping beauty would be revealed?

    It seemed that she wasn¡¯t old, not yet an adult. But she already had such extraordinary grace and charm. This xiaojie was not simple.

    Even grown men here would be shocked, but this little xiaojie didn¡¯t even wrinkle her eyebrows.

    How could this ve dealer know that Zi You had been reborn?

    After her previous life¡¯s extremely brutal and tragic experiences, Zi You¡¯s heart was a pool of stagnant water, difficult to stir up any waves.

    The fates of the people here were tragic. But were they as tragic as her previous life? The dignified General¡¯s legitimate granddaughter ended up being murdered by her husband and best friend.

    Looking at Zi You¡¯s elegance, the ve dealer presumed she was of nobility. The rainbow-colored brocade was a foreign tribute. Only royalty and the families of those high-ranking officials were allowed to wear it.

    The ve dealer saw that Zi You was busily looking and not minding the ves being filthy, letting them stand up and walk to and fro in front of her. Consequently, he couldn¡¯t help himself and said with a ttering smile, ¡°These ves are not bad. They were originally officials¡¯ families¡¯ xiaojies. After a few years, they would definitely be good helpers for Xiaojie.¡± Zi You ignored him. She carefully examined the ves¡¯ bone structure. She wanted female warriors who could fight on the battlefield, not average maidservants.

 Chapter 32 Purchasing People [4], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 32 Purchasing People [4], Part 1</h4>

    *We find out what she wants the ves for...]

    She came to the ve market today to buy forty to fifty eight- to twelve-year-old girls. She would then teach them martial arts and medicine and give them to grandfather and uncle to be their assistants.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t believe that she couldn¡¯t do the things her mother could. It was a matter of effort. As long as she had determination, she could achieve her wish.

    When grandfather learned of her ambition, he once asked, ¡°What girl would want to study medicine? Even if she is willing to learn, who is willing to expose herself in public and mix together with men on the battlefield? She would ruin her reputation and can¡¯t get married in her lifetime. Your mother was not like the average woman. She is a descendant of a goddess. But even so, Great Yan¡¯s noble furens [Mrs., Married madams] looked down on her, much less average girls.¡±

    She was furious thinking of her grandfather¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t know why females couldn¡¯t go on the battlefield and kill enemies and save people. On the battlefield, why must they mix together with men?

    If their souls were pure and clean, then why would they perform illicit activities? In the past, Yongnan Marquis and Yu LanXuan weren¡¯t on the battlefield, but weren¡¯t they illicitly together?

    It was clear that doing immoral things didn¡¯t depend on the location or environment. You can watch some people closely, but their dirty thoughts and souls would still be revealed.

    Musing over her grandfather¡¯s words, Zi You thought he was correct on one point. Finding forty or fifty females to learn medicine and martial arts through normal channels was impossible.

    She could only use abnormal ways to find people. Female ves from the ve market were the most suitable. After two hours, Zi You took out the pocket watch her uncle gave her. The time was close to wei shi [1-3 pm]. Not bad. Her efforts were not in vain. She finally picked out forty-five girls.

    Chapter 32 Purchasing People [4], Part 2

    Zi You listened to the ve dealer¡¯s introductions. Eight or nine-year-old girls were three silvers, ten or eleven-year-olds were seven silvers, twelve- to fifteen-year-olds were the most expensive at fifteen silvers, and sixteen- to eighteen-year-olds were eight silvers.

    The reason was simple. After feeding twelve- to fourteen-year-olds a year or two, they could earn lots of silvers for brothels.

    The younger ones needed more silvers to raise them for longer periods of time and could not immediately make silvers or work.

    The older ones did not need to be raised anymore and could only be maidservants or get married after a few years.

    The girls Zi You chose were mostly nine to eleven years of age, totaling thirty-eight. Only seven were twelve years of age.

    They cost Zi You 318 silvers. She began to bargain, ¡°300 silvers.¡±

    The ve dealer counter-offered, ¡°This xiaojie, this is the best ve market, with the best ves. You go back and teach them a bit and you can use them. How about this? 310 silvers.¡±

    Zi You again said coldly, ¡°300 silvers.¡±

    The ve dealer was anxious, ¡°Xiaojie, even selling them to brothels would not fetch this price...¡± ¡°Xiaojie, I beg you to do a good deed. Can you also buy this ve¡¯s big brother?¡± The two were deadlocked, when a nine-year-old girl suddenly kneeled in front of Zi You and cried sorrowfully.

 Chapter 33 Purchasing People [5], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 33 Purchasing People [5], Part 1</h4>

    The ve dealers were used to such scenes of loud crying and shouting.

    Zi You¡¯s heart clenched. She scolded herself. Didn¡¯t she say she would never be softhearted again? Why was her old disease rearing its head again?

    This world had too many people pitiful people. Could she afford to be sympathetic?

    Moreover, those pitiful people must have hateful points. In her previous life, didn¡¯t she pity Yu LanXuan for being born a Shu [concubine-born] daughter and being bullied by her Di [legitimate wife-born] siblings? Then she [Zi You] led the wolf into her house?

    Zi You hardened her heart and was about to conclude the transaction. But the little girl who begged her fiercely red at her and scolded, ¡°I¡¯m not going with you. Even if I die, I will die with my big brother. You¡¯re so cruel. You want to separate us.¡±

    Looking at the little girl¡¯s determined face, Zi You was momentarily stunned. In her past life, when she learned her grandfather and uncle died of illness in Nanjiang, her heart was filled with pain, the kind of pain where she hated she couldn¡¯t follow them in death. Zi You¡¯s hard-like-iron heart copsed a little.

    She stopped the ve dealer who was about to hit the little girl and heavily said, ¡°Bring her brothers over.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The ve dealer dly ran off.

    Four girls, including the one who called Zi You cruel, rushed towards Zi You and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, benefactor! Thank you, benefactor! This ve iswilling to do anything for benefactor Xiaojie, be it being a cow or horse.¡± Although Zi You appeared cold, her mood was pleasant. It wasn¡¯t for the little girl¡¯s gratitude, but that in such a precarious situation, there was still real love and emotion.

    The four girls¡¯ brothers came. They were ten and twelve and two were thirteen years of age.

    Chapter 33 Purchasing People [5], Part 2

    The thirteen-year-old, tall, dark-skinned, aloof teenager was the brother of the first girl who begged Zi You.

    The little girl saw her brother and immediately rushed towards his chest, crying heartbreakingly.

    The other three girls found their brothers, held hands and wept, while asking after each others¡¯ well-being.

    Zi You¡¯s four first-ranked maidservants all wept sympathetic tears seeing this scene.

    Although Zi You¡¯s heart was also feeling sorrow, her appearance was always cold. She looked in the distance as if the things happening in front of her had nothing to do with her.

    After ten minutes or so, she gave the ve dealer 360 silvers. She told her maidservants and Fang Dasheng, ¡°Hire two big carriages. Take them to the market, let them eat, bathe, and wear clean clothes before taking them home.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Fang Dasheng was General Mu¡¯s exclusive carriage driver, loyal and knew martial arts. Because Zi You did not want guards or soldiers to follow, Old General Mu was worried she would suffer. He allowed his own carriage driver to follow this trip.

    Since Laoye told him not to do anything until the critical juncture, he would just not care about anything and listen to Xiaojie. The two carriages were hired and the forty-nine ves were brought away.

    Back in the market, ShiYun and HaiYun went to buy clothing. MoYun and ShuiYun went to contact a restaurant. Fang Dasheng went to contact the bathhouse.

    Half an hourter, three sets of people returned. MoYun and ShuiYun booked a small restaurant. Fang Dasheng booked a bathhouse. Zi You ordered the ves to the restaurant first. Everyone had one bowl of congee, two small dishes and a small mantou [steamed bread].

 Chapter 34 Cherish the Chance to Begin a New Life, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 34 Cherish the Chance to Begin a New Life, Part 1</h4>

    It wasn¡¯t because Zi You was stingy and wouldn¡¯t let them eat well. But their stomachs were empty for so many days, if they ate heartily, it would harm them instead and they would die from overeating.

    That girl knew how to take care of people and gave her mantou to her brother.

    Zi You¡¯s saw this and her eyes finally became less cold and more warm. With a little more warmth in her voice, she clearly said, ¡°First take a bath, you can eat moreter. If you eat too much now, you¡¯ll be dizzy in the bath.¡±

    The little girl who begged Zi You was Rong QiYan and her thirteen-year-old brother was Rong YunHe. He quietly looked at Zi You and wondered which house¡¯s xiaojie this was and why she bought them.

    Actually, this teenager knew martial arts. He was a Shaanxi general¡¯s gongzi. He once had maidservants and wore fine clothes. If his father didn¡¯t break thew, why would he be in his current miserable situation?

    If it wasn¡¯t due to his sister from the same mother, with his martial arts, he would have long escaped.

    But besides his martial arts, he had only a few years of schooling and no living skills. It would be difficult to feed himself, but with his nine-year-old sister, wouldn¡¯t they be waiting to starve to death?

    Rong YunHe gritted his teeth in hatred. He would never have imagined submitting for five grains of rice.

    Zi You didn¡¯t know what the ves were thinking. She only saw them devouring food ravenously. MoYun and ShuiYun took the female ves and Fang Dasheng took the male ves to bathe. She, ShiYun and HaiYun waited in the restaurant. They asked the owner for a hot pot of noodle soup and requested more meat and eggs in it. After a bath and new clothing, the new ves were more pleasing to the eye. There was no strange odor and their hair weren¡¯t messy. Everyone was cleaner.

    Chapter 34 Cherish the Chance to Begin a New Life, Part 2

    Zi You looked at these people and loudly said, with a smile, ¡°After eating the noodle soup, we will go to the Manor. From now on, regardless of what happened before and what misfortune you¡¯ve encountered, I hope you can forget them all. Cherish the opportunity I gave you to start a new life. Alright, let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Everyone looked at the meat and eggs in the hot noodle soup and was as happy as if they were seeing bird¡¯s nest or shark¡¯s fin.

    Many yearster, these people could still remember the delicious taste of that pot of noodle soup.

    It was already sunset. The ground was covered in a fuzzy rose color.

    The people in the market hurriedly went home already. The busy streets in the daytime became silent.

    When the stars could be seen in the sky, Zi You took the forty-nine ves and returned to the General¡¯s Manor.

    Zi You¡¯s grandfather, uncle and aunt already had servants keeping watch at the door. The servants rushed inside to notify Old General Mu and Mu YingYi when they saw the carriage. The two hurriedly rushed out.

    One day without seeing their loved one and Zi You seemed as if a prodigal son returning home. She did not use a stool to step down from the carriage, but anxiously jumped down into the arms of Old General Mu. ¡°Grandfather, You¡¯er [¡®er: suffix used to denote closeness/intimacy] really missed you.¡±

    One sentence had Old General Mu feeling endless tenderness. Petting her cloud-like ck hair, heughingly said, ¡°You¡¯re missing grandfather after only being away for one day? What would happen in the future when you get married?¡± Zi You listened and frowned in disgust. The sentence ¡°I won¡¯t get married¡± was almost blurted out.

 Chapter 35 Her Wish [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 35 Her Wish [1], Part 1</h4>

    *A kind anonymous reader bought me coffees! Thank you for your support! ?? But s/he didn¡¯t say which novel s/he was supporting so I¡¯m doing bonus chapter parts for both novels. Enjoy!]

    ¡°You¡¯er, where did so many vese from? What do you want to do?¡± Fortunately Mu YingYi saw the rows of orderly ves alight from the carriage. He distracted Zi You so she could calm her emotions.

    She went in front of the ves and pointed to Old General Mu, ¡°Pay your respects to Lao TaiYe.¡±

    The forty-nine ves knelt and shouted, ¡°We ves pay respects to Lao TaiYe. We wish Lao TaiYe fortune and good blessings!¡±

    Zi You then pointed to Mu YingYi, ¡°Pay your respects to Second LaoYe.¡±

    Forty-nine ves also bowed towards Mu YingYi.

    Zi You waved her hand and said to the housekeeper QuanBo, ¡°QuanBo, you help arrange their amodations. ShiYun, you bring YouLian to YouRan Ju.¡±

    Finished speaking, she turned in the arms of her grandfather and coquettishly said, ¡°Grandfather, didn¡¯t I tell you I wanted to form a female medical team? You were worried I couldn¡¯t recruit people. Now I have the people. You won¡¯t object now right?¡±

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were shocked. They looked at each Zi You and asked in unison, ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth? You really want to form a female medical team?¡±

    Zi You decisively nodded and resolutely said, ¡°Yes, You¡¯er was not ying around. From now on, if grandfather or uncle goes onto the battlefield, You¡¯er will follow along.¡±

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi saw Zi You even brought back people. They then realized she wasn¡¯t ying around. She had real intentions. Old General Mu was happy and excited, but also deeply concerned. Great Yan never had women on the battlefield. Even Dier disguised herself as a man and secretly followed along.

    Chapter 35 Her Wish [1], Part 2

    But now his granddaughter wanted to bring a forty-odd female medical team to war. No matter what, this matter could not be hidden.

    Old General Mu did not worry the Emperor would not agree or his granddaughter could not seed in forming the medical team. His fear was once his granddaughter went to war with him and confronted male soldiers, her future marriage prospects would be difficult.

    What noble family wants a daughter-inw who only knew how to fight and kill? He also felt that no noble gongzi was good enough for his granddaughter.

    Old General Mu pondered and called Zi You into his study. He persuaded, ¡°You¡¯er, you want to learn martial arts or medicine, grandfather would not oppose. But forming a female medical team and following grandfather onto the battlefield, grandfather really couldn¡¯t agree. If I really put you on the battlefield, it would be hard to find a marriage partner. Do you understand?¡±

    Zi You calmly nodded. ¡°I understand, grandfather. Great Yan¡¯s noble daughters and xiaojies, in addition to needlework and housekeeping, there is ¡®Female Virtues¡¯ and ¡®Female Disciplines [books].¡¯¡± Only need to learn a little zither, chess, calligraphy and painting; not a lot, but enough to be cultured. Those who really learned the essence are little. A woman¡¯s virtue is to have no talent, right? The other day, mother told me to read more of ¡®A Daughter¡¯s Sutra¡¯ and learn more needlework, and wanted to find You¡¯er a teacher for that.¡±

    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s such a thing? Why didn¡¯t you mention it? You agreed?¡± Old General Mu asked in surprise, his eyebrows locked.

    It seemed Wang Yiping was lively again, seeing his oldest son about to leave.

    Zi You nodded. ¡°I agreed. If I don¡¯t, won¡¯t I disappoint mother¡¯s feelings? Doesn¡¯t father say daughter doesn¡¯t understand anything?¡±

    Zi You said this with a little ridicule. Although she was smiling, the smile did not reach her eyes.

 Chapter 36 Her Wish [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 36 Her Wish [2], Part 1</h4>

    Old General Mu pounded the table in anger. A corner of the table shattered. ¡°Is she trying to tire you to death? Or wear you down? So that you won¡¯t have any time to study martial arts or medicine?¡±

    At these words, Zi You had a confident smile on her face. This smile was like bright fireworks in a night sky, gorgeous and dazzling. Even the study suddenly became bright and dazzling. ¡°Grandfather, rest assured. She won¡¯t tire me. I currently have a photographic memory. Whether it is books or objects, as long as I¡¯ve seen them, I won¡¯t forget. You know You¡¯er¡¯s martial arts progressed rapidly. Don¡¯t you believe in your granddaughter¡¯s abilities? It¡¯s good that she wants to invite a teacher for me so I won¡¯t have poor etiquette when I¡¯m invited to big asions in the future. I am now studying flower embroidery with ShiYun. If she [Wang Yiping] could get a good teacher for me, I¡¯ll have to thank her.

    ¡°As for marriage, women can help the casualties of the army, in addition to medicine and martial arts. Other standards/norms women should have, I have too. If someone appreciates me and treats only me wholeheartedly, then I will marry. If he can¡¯t appreciate me or give me his true heart, no matter how excellent he is, I don¡¯t want.

    ¡°In this world, even if there this kind of true man and hero like grandfather or uncle, I would rather be alone my whole life. Grandfather, You¡¯er doing this is not only to fulfill mother¡¯s unfulfilled wish, but also to help her protect grandfather and uncle. You¡¯er has a wish and that is to help mother gain honor and recognition. If I can aplish meritorious deeds for the nation, who would dareugh at mother for being a lowly barbarian and of unknown origins?¡± ¡°You¡¯er...¡± Old General Mu did not expect his young granddaughter to see things so clearly and long-term, with such high ambitions. He looked at Zi You excitedly and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time.

    Chapter 36 Her Wish [2], Part 2

    Old General Mu did not tell Zi You¡¯s aspirations to his oldest son [Zi You¡¯s father], but he did tell them to his younger son and his wife. The three were happy and proud of her.

    They were getting more and more disappointed towards MuYingRui and Wang Yiping. Today was the first time Zi You went out without adult supervision for a whole day. The two were not concerned and did not show concern. They didn¡¯t even look at Zi You once since she came back awhile ago.

    Mu YingYi¡¯s two sons, seven-year-old Mu QingHeng and four-year-old Mu QingYuan, seeing jiejie [older sister, can be used to denote familiarity] return from the market, circled around her. Trying to curry favor, they said, ¡°Jiejie, we saved you a moon cake. It¡¯s very delicious.¡±

    Zi You took out the dough figures, wooden swords and wooden boat she bought at the market for the two rascals. She lovingly patted their little heads. She said to N¨¦e Liu, ¡°Aunt, let Heng¡¯er and Yuan¡¯er follow me to learn martial arts. I know you don¡¯t want them to follow grandfather and uncle¡¯s military path. But martial arts can strengthen one¡¯s body and willpower. Even if our Mu family¡¯s descendants are only civil servants, they would still have the blood of soldiers and a strong iron physique.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words once again got Old General Mu excited. He looked proudly at his granddaughter and nodded approvingly. ¡°You can say such words; you are worthy of being this old man¡¯s granddaughter!¡±

    N¨¦e Liu was always worried about her husband setting off on war campaigns. No matter what Mu YingYi said, she would not let her two sons learn martial arts. Now listening to Zi You¡¯s words, she pondered for awhile and readily agreed. ¡°Okay, aunt will listen to You¡¯er. Aunt will support the things You¡¯er believes in.¡±

 Chapter 37 Some Value It, Some Hate It, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 37 Some Value It, Some Hate It, Part 1</h4>

    Zi You knew this was the face her aunt was giving her. She knew her aunt was still not in favor of her sons learning martial arts.

    Zi You did not reveal it or exin. She would wait until she taught her aunt¡¯s two sons into well-rounded, in both civil and martial talents, and let her aunt be convinced then.

    In her previous life, after Zi You¡¯s death, N¨¦e Liu also followed. Her heart hurt thinking of the three weak underage boys left behind.

    In this life, she must let uncle¡¯s sons be pirs of society versed in the pen and the sword and able to stand on their own.

    Zi You silently swore an oath. She took out the Jasper hairpin she bought for N¨¦e Liu and smilingly inserted it into her hair. ¡°Thank you aunt, for believing in You¡¯er.¡±

    N¨¦e Liu looked at the hairpin. It was pure Jasper without any blemish. She knew it was expensive.

    Her heart happy and touched, N¨¦e Liu feigned anger, ¡°Really, you bought so many ves and not even a beaded flower for yourself. But you bought me such a valuable hairpin...this child...You didn¡¯t buy your mother a present? Although... after all...¡±

    N¨¦e Liu looked at Zi You with a distressed face. She didn¡¯t know how to express her meaning.

    She didn¡¯t have to exin and Zi You already understood. Wang Yiping was hypocritical but still her legitimate stepmother. If she did not perform well, an un-filial hat would be put on her and she would be scolded.

    Zi You peacefully smiled andforted N¨¦e Liu, ¡°Rest assured, aunt. You¡¯er understands. I have gifts for both father and mother.¡±

    Chapter 37 Some Value It, Some Hate It, Part 2

    She then coquettishly smiled at Old General Mu and Mu YingYi. ¡°I also bought gifts for grandfather and uncle. But I can¡¯t give them to you now. After You¡¯er finishes them well, then I will give them to you.¡±

    Both were very curious and asked in unison, ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±

    Zi You looked at her two rtives with their faces full of interest. She smiled more and more, like Epiphyllum blooming, quiet and elegant, warm and soft. ¡°I won¡¯t tell grandfather and uncle now. Wait for me to give you a surprise!¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± Old General Muughed loudly. ¡°My You¡¯er is getting more and more loveable. Alright, we will wait for the surprise then.¡±

    Mu YingYi smiled. Looking at Zi You¡¯s face that was more beautiful than Dier¡¯s, he thought gloomily how nice it would be if this was his daughter!

    Big brother was really such a bastard! He didn¡¯t know how to cherish such a good daughter. Fine, you don¡¯t know how to cherish, let this uncle be her father and love her.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi cherished Zi You for being well-behaved and sensible. But this had Wang Yiping hating until her teeth hurt.

    She always felt that although Zi You was respectful to her on the surface, she was actually guarded against her. There were some things Zi You appeared to agree with, but everything remained the same.

    Like what happened today. When she learned yesterday Zi You was going to the market alone, she was very happy in the beginning.

    Go alone, go, go. Let people know that General Manor¡¯s Xiaojie stroll down streets alone. She didn¡¯t have to do anything but take a walk outside alone and her reputation would be ruined.

    But looking back, it felt strange. Old General Mu and Mu YingYi always treated Zi You like a precious baby. Why wouldn¡¯t they have thought of this point? They actually agreed to Zi You¡¯s request. They must have had something arranged.

 Chapter 38 A Poisonous Sword-like Tongue [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 38 A Poisonous Sword-like Tongue [1], Part 1</h4>

    Moreover, this darned girl must have had something to do when she was going out. Otherwise why would she insist on going alone?

    Wang Yiping thought of this point and immediately put on a concerned face for Zi You. In front of Mu YingRui, she grabbed Zi You¡¯s hands. She softly asked, ¡°You¡¯er, let mother apany you. A precious Xiaojie like you with only a few maidservants, what will we do if there¡¯s an ident?¡±

    Zi You agreed readily. ¡°Then You¡¯er won¡¯t go. Originally, You¡¯er wanted to personally shop for grandfather, father and mother¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival presents. Now it seems I can only use the existing materials on hand and create them myself. But father, it would be good if mother doesn¡¯t dislike it.¡±

    Wang Yiping immediately pretended to smile happily. ¡°Good girl! You should not follow your grandfather and uncle and wield knives and spears. It¡¯s better for girls to be gentle, quiet and dignified. You¡¯re almost twelve years old. Late next year, we¡¯ll have to set a marriage for you. It¡¯s better to learn more needlework and etiquette. Laoye, after Mid-Autumn, how about I find a retired teacher from the Imperial Pce to teach You¡¯er in the Manor?¡±

    With a face of tenderness and worship and a coquettish voice, she whined, ¡°Laoye, Laoye is a famous talent Great Yan¡¯s. Of course, his daughter would have befitting speech and manner. Laoye, is what I said correct?¡±

    Whether it was the eyes or the voice, Mu YingRui¡¯s passion was provoked. Zi You found it nauseating.

    Mu YingRui didn¡¯t say anything but his eyes were flirting with Wang Yiping. He lightly and frivolously smiled, ¡°Furen has always been virtuous and knowledgeable. Whatever Furen says is correct. You¡¯er, remember your mother¡¯s words and don¡¯t disobey her.¡±

    Mu YingRui spoke to Zi You, but thest sentence was not said gently, instead with a slight hint of warning.

    Chapter 38 A Poisonous Sword-like Tongue [1], Part 2

    But Zi You lightly smiled and politely bowed. ¡°Yes, daughter will certainly remember father and mother¡¯s teachings.¡±

    Her attitude was so good that one could not tell she was the slightest bit discontent. But early this morning, this darned girl left the house. By the time she [Wang Yiping] knew about it, she [Zi You] was bidding farewell.

    She and Laoye were very unhappy when they heard. Laoye even immediately reprimanded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t going yesterday? Why did you suddenly change your mind? You¡¯er, you¡¯re really getting more presumptuous. You dare to be two-faced to your parents?¡±

    Who knew the darned girl would unhurriedly retort, ¡°Father, daughter would disagree with your words. You¡¯er never changed her mind. But I was afraid my parents would worry and be unable to sleep, so I hid the information. Besides, I was obeying grandfather¡¯s request that I did so. On ount of daughter¡¯s filial piety, please don¡¯t be angry, father.¡±

    Finished speaking, she curtsied and leisurely left.

    That was one thing and this was another. From the time she came back till now, this girl had note to pay her respects.

    Even if she and Laoye were angry and did note out to greet her, her [Zi You] purchasing so many ves, she eventually should havee to tell them right?

    There was another thing that made her uneasy. That girl spent all day mysteriously puttering around her deceased mother¡¯s Hundred Herb Garden. Once there, she stayed the whole afternoon.

    One didn¡¯t know what she was up to. Once she went to take a look on the pretense of sending over food, but ShiYun barred her entry. ¡°Xiaojie is taking an afternoon nap inside. No one is to disturb her.¡±

 Chapter 39 A Vicious Sword-like Tongue [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 39 A Vicious Sword-like Tongue [2], Part 1</h4>

    Why would shee to this gloomy courtyard to take a nap? And a napsted all afternoon?

    Wang Yiping thought of all this and immediately felt annoyed. She knew if she wanted to follow Mu YingRui to Quanzhou, she must coax Zi You well. If Zi You did not agree, Old General Mu certainly would not agree.

    If Old General Mu did not agree, even if Mu YingRui had double the courage, he still would not disobey his father. With one kick, the old general could send him from the back courtyard to the pond in front.

    As soon as Wang Yiping thought she would have to sleep alone after the Mid-Autumn Festival, her heart felt as though a cat¡¯s w was scratching it, itching and painful.

    Twisting her small waist, she ran bewitchingly in front of Mu YingRui and sat on hisp. She coyly said, ¡°Laoye, I feel like You¡¯er doesn¡¯t seem like your daughter, but more like second uncle¡¯s. When you¡¯re not here, her being close with the second household, I didn¡¯t say too much as I¡¯m not her birth mother. But now Laoye is clearly in the house. When she came back, she didn¡¯te to her birth father to report her safety, but go to her uncle¡¯s courtyard and she stayed for so long. I really don¡¯t understand what that rough second uncle, other than martial arts, havepared to Laoye¡¯s political wisdom and magnificence? Her mother was blind back then, but now she is blind too. I really feel injustice for Laoye.¡±

    These words were very vicious! When Mu YingRuiter learned the one Dier loved was Mu YingYi, how could he not hate Mu YingYi? But even if he hated, he couldn¡¯t do anything to him.

    On the official level, Mu YingYi was a second-ranked Dingguo General. He was only a fourth-ranked Quanzhou official. On the ability level, neither was a schr. But Mu YingYi was that year¡¯s martial arts champion, his skills were peerless. Other than Old General Mu, he wouldn¡¯t lose to any other people.

    Chapter 39 A Vicious Sword-like Tongue [2], Part 2

    *Dear readers, I am currently tranting chapter 41 [of Rebirth of the General¡¯s Granddaughter ÖØÉúÖ®½«ÃÅµÕÅ®], but the raws I¡¯ve found seem to be skipping over that chapter. Chapter 40 is ¡°Èö»Ñ¸¶³öµÄ´ú¼Û (Ò») [part 1]¡± BUT I can¡¯t find ¡°Èö»Ñ¸¶³öµÄ´ú¼Û (¶þ) [part 2].¡± The current chapter 41 raws is NOT a continuation of chapter 40. You guys have any ideas where I can find the ACTUAL chapter 41? [Please be aware that some raws are actually the false chapter 41 in disguise.] Pleasement or e-mail me if you found the ACTUAL chapter 41! Thank you!]

    Mu YingYi not striking was good, but once Mu YingYished out, one punch would bring down a weak schr like himself.

    Moreover, father always did like his younger brother better than him. He always said, ¡°YingYi is the most like me. I don¡¯t know who YingRui takes after. He neither has his mother¡¯s earnestness or this old man¡¯s stalwartness. He¡¯s always lustful.¡±

    His father hated his lustfulness and obsession with women, marrying one concubine after another.

    Mu YingRui did not understand. Men should have three wives and four concubines. Why was it wrong when it came to Mu Manor? Otherwise, he should be like his father and brother and only have one woman in his lifetime? A man would waste his youth if he wasn¡¯t lustful. He was currently approaching middle age. If he¡¯s not lustful now, wouldn¡¯t there be no time for itter?

    Those sanctimonious hypocrites! If Dier was not beautiful, would they let a foreigner be the wife of the General¡¯s firstborn Di son? Didn¡¯t they treasure the baby Dier left behind after her death only because that girl would grow up to me devastatingly beautiful too?

    Mu YingRui absentmindedly rubbed Wang Yiping¡¯s body and cursed his father¡¯s partiality and his brother¡¯s hypocrisy in his heart.

    Then he started to be resentful of Zi You. That darned girl was just like her mother, always treating him so coldly.

    That darned girl kept him at arm¡¯s length and that woman was an ice queen. She can freeze people to death on the bed.

    If she had a bit of enthusiasm, by virtue of her beauty and graceful body, would he have to take in one concubine after another?

 Chapter 40: The Consequences of Lying [1], Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 40: The Consequences of Lying [1], Part 2</h4>

    After these words were spoken, if he still punished and med her, then was he still human? Especially whenpared to her uncle and aunt?

    Not only could he not punish or me her, but he must show concern. Otherwise, when his old man knew, he would scold him for being indifferent and cold to his deceased wife¡¯s daughter.

    Mu YingRui swallowed his anger with difficulty. He looked at Wang Yiping.

    With a face full of concern, Wang Yiping stretched her arms out and helped Zi You up.

    ¡°This girl is too willful! No wonder grandfather punished you. Seeing they were pitiful and you bought so many lowly ves? How did your grandfather punish you? Did he beat you? Does it hurt?¡±

    As an official, Mu YingRui was used to acting. He was very earnest in his acting and didn¡¯t seem fake at all.

    And Wang Yiping was on an equivalent level. Grabbing Zi You¡¯s hand, her tears started flowing. ¡°Seeing they are pitiful, didn¡¯t you only buy a few more ves? It¡¯s not as if we can¡¯t afford it in the Manor. Did you take a beating? Where? Quickly let mother take a look. I¡¯m also to me. If I met you at the door, it would have been okay. Your father was so worried it was your first time out without adult supervision that something would happen, that he got chest pains. So I couldn¡¯t throw him out. Otherwise, mother would have been at the door to meet you.¡±

    You could lie without a script now? I have never heard that worrying about someone would cause chest pains. The scum male didn¡¯t have any heart problems before. And even if he did, you didn¡¯t go find a doctor?

    Zi You had a ck belly and pretending to be worried for Mu YingRui said, ¡°Ah! Is it serious father? Do we need to get a doctor for a diagnosis? This is a symptom of a heart condition.¡±

 Chapter 41 Moonlight Goddess, White Clouds Floating, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 41 Moonlight Goddess, White Clouds Floating, Part 1</h4>

    Zi You did not know that Nanny Luo was secretly worried. She took out the silver needle she was carrying and wiped it with alcohol. This was her weapon. At a crucial moment, she could kill with it.

    Zi You took out drawing paper and began drawing the silver needle as a hairpin she could wear. If she had a sharp hairpin in her hair, she could have taught that scoundrel a lesson in the market. She wouldn¡¯t have ended upgging behind.

    Another thing, she had to train the ves she bought tomorrow. She needed to prepare a training manual.

    In the morning, Uncle Jiang who was Uncle You¡¯s Deputy General, would teach the ves martial arts. In the afternoon, she would personally teach them medicine. At night, she had to teach Shui YouLian Indian dancing. Whether Mu YingRui could be sessfully seduced, this dance was very crucial.

    In addition, the dance choreography, musical score and musical instruments for the Indian dance her mother left behind, she would retrieve after five days. If she added in tens of silvers more, the time would be shortened by two or three days.

    Mother left two Indian musical instruments behind but it was too few. If it was yed with only them, the effect would be poor.

    These three days, she would first teach Shui YouLian the basic dance steps of the Indian dance. When the instruments were ready, then she could officially rehearse.

    Zi You was quietly drawing and writing. It was only after hai shi [9-11 pm], she leaned back with a tiny smile into the arms of Nanny Luo who had been urging her to rest. She softly said, ¡°Nanny, do you know I¡¯m very happy today? Because as long as I can train these ves well, I can protect grandfather and uncle from harm.¡±

    Nanny Luo did not understand. Why would Old General Mu and young General Mu need the weak Xiaojie to protect them? So she patted Zi You and said pamperingly, ¡°My dear Xiaojie! As long as you¡¯re not hurt, Old General and young General would pray to Buddha. They don¡¯t need you to protect them. Go to bed quickly. Sleeping sote every night, you won¡¯t grow taller.¡±

    Chapter 41 Moonlight Goddess, White Clouds Floating, Part 2

    Zi You stretched her waist and smiled sweetly, like the moonlight¡¯s brilliance pouring into the room. ¡°Nanny, I want to practice fencing for a while. You sleep first. Let the maidservants remain.¡±

    She then picked up her sword and went into the courtyard.

    The moonlight was like water, pouring into the courtyard and bathing the fragrant osmanthus trees. The small yellow flowers were shrouded in ayer of silvery light, with an elegant aroma, very dream-like.

    Zi You was calmly quiet. With her sword in the air, like a dragon emerging from water, she flew onto the tops of the osmanthus treetops...

    In a sh, Nanny Lou seemed to have seen autumn water fell from the sky and turned into the infinite Milky Way. Graceful nimble movements sometimes scattering in the sky, sometimesnding on the ground, sometimes turning into silver lights scattered into thousands of stars shining bright.

    Brilliant bright light. Cool and refreshing autumn wind. Her white-clothed figure was like floating snowkes.

    ¡°ShiYun, MoYun, HaiYun, ShuiYun, go pick some osmanthus. Tomorrow we¡¯ll make osmanthus cakes to eat.¡±

    When the sounds of the ck-naped Oriole started chirping, they only saw a silver ribbon rotating non-stop surrounding the four maidservants and Nanny Lou around the osmanthus trees. They only felt the whole courtyard air full of fragrance. The osmanthus flowers were falling onto their bodies.

    Old General Mu walked into the courtyard just to see the white-d Zi You like a white cloud floating.

 Chapter 42 Morning Practice on the Mountain, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 42 Morning Practice on the Mountain, Part 1</h4>

    Old General Mu smiled, relieved. ¡°Your Flying Snow Sword improved a lot. If your sword energy was distributed more evenly, the osmanthus would fall into the four maidservants¡¯ arms and not one wouldnd on the ground. But in just half a year to get to this state, your martial arts had already surpassed your grandmother¡¯s that year. In time, it would be above me and your uncle. By the way, you didn¡¯t use psychic powers, right?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°I remembered grandfather¡¯s words. I wouldn¡¯t rashly use my psychic powers.¡±

    Old General Mu said approvingly, ¡°That¡¯s right. Using too much psychic power would unconsciously suppress your internal force and you will feel tired.¡±

    Zi You quickly nodded, ¡°Granddaughter will remember, grandfather.¡±

    Zi You sent her grandfather away, returned back to the house, and slept.

    For those who practice martial arts, morning exercise was very important.

    Every morning, Zi You, her grandfather and her uncle would climb to the top of the capital¡¯s Qixia Mountain, to absorb the essence of Heaven and Earth.

    Today¡¯s morning exercise group was bigger. Forty-nine ves and Mu YingYi¡¯s two sons were added.

    Qixia Mountain was very high. There were two paths leading to the top. One was rtively t. Those without martial arts would climb this road to pick wild herbs or mushrooms.

    The other path was very steep. In order to climb it without martial arts, one could only use ropes and daggers inserted into rock crevices.

    It would be impossible for those new to martial arts to use this path. So, Uncle Jiang and his wife Aunt Lan, originally Dier¡¯s female bodyguard, took the ves on the t path.

 Chapter 43 You Are Soldiers from This Point On, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 43 You Are Soldiers from This Point On, Part 1</h4>

    An hour after Zi You and others arrived, the breathless and exhausted girls with their brothers climbed up the path.

    Rong QiYan was carried by Rong YunHe. The little girl climbed halfway and fainted from tiredness. Two other girls also fainted from tiredness, WanRu and XiaoYa. They were carried by Uncle Jiang and Aunt Lan.

    Zi You used acupuncture on the three girls and woke them. She fed them some sips of water. She then appointed Rong YunHe the leader of these children and let him line them up.

    Rong YunHe was distracted and his face was surprised. Then he started to line them up.

    Mu YingYi was startled. This boy had been trained well; he had been in the army.

    Zi You remembered his father was a noble soldier. Her confidence in this female medical team increased a bit.

    Rong YunHe¡¯s basic qualities weren¡¯t bad. Rong QiYan as his biological sister could certainly be a high-quality soldier like her brother in time.

    Filled with confidence, Zi You went in the front of the crowd. She loudly shouted, ¡°You must be curious why I bought all of you. I will tell you now. My goal is to form a female medical team. Because my grandfather and uncle are Great Yan¡¯s soldiers. Soldiers guard their homes and defend their homnds. They are the first line of defense in enemy invasion. If there is war, there will be casualties. I don¡¯t want to see my rtives and my soldiers lose their lives because of injuries. So I formed this female medical team. I want you to follow along and protect the lives of my loved ones when they are on the battlefield. Starting today, you will learn martial arts and medicine with me.¡±

    Chapter 43 You Are Soldiers from This Point On, Part 2

    ¡°Some might ask since it¡¯s a medical team, why the need to bitterly practice martial arts? Then I will tell you. Practicing martial arts is to protect your own safety and to better perform the task of treating the wounded. You are all ves without liberty or dignity, so please cherish this opportunity I give you to begin a new life. Study hard and work hard. If you can achieve merit on the battlefield, my grandfather will definitely help eliminate your ve status. Are you willing? If you are unwilling, step forward. I will make other work arrangements for you. Are any of you unwilling to be a female doctor?¡±

    ¡°Is there any?¡± Zi You asked three times. No one stepped forward. A dazzling smile, like a cloud breaking through sunrise, on her face illuminated the whole mountaintop.

    ¡°Good. No one is unwilling. From now on, you are members of the female medical team. Wake up at mao shi [5-7 am] and exercise on the mountain for two hours. Then return back to the Manor for breakfast. Then study medicine with me from wu shi [11-1 pm] with lunch in between and rest. Wei shi [1-3 pm] to shen shi [3-5 pm], practice medicine in the first half and practice martial arts in the second half. Rest and dinner during you shi [5-7 pm]. Self-study during xu shi [7-9 pm]. Sleep by hai shi [9-11 pm]. Next, I will start to call out names. If it¡¯s your name, step forward and shout back. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Understand.¡± The bashful little girls lowered their heads.

    Zi You immediately shouted, ¡°Answer loudly. Lift your heads and raise your chests. Remember, you are soldiers from this point on. Understand?¡±

 Chapter 44 Making Waves Again [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 44 Making Waves Again [1], Part 1</h4>

    ¡°We understand.¡± It sounded a lot louder and more energetic this time.

    Zi You finally let out a bright, dazzling smile. She began her first day of teaching the female medical team.

    When Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping discovered the true purpose behind the ves, it was the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

    Zi You and Old General Mu hid this matter very deeply. They weren¡¯t afraid, but the team was newly formed. Whether it can be sessful in the end, there were still many uncertain factors in the process. So Old General Mu, Mu YingYi, and Zi You wanted the females to be versed in medicine and martial arts before releasing the news.

    Because of Old General Mu¡¯s orders, Mu YingRui spent the night in the study. But that didn¡¯t prevent him and Wang Yiping from entangling during the daytime.

    Zi You was busy training female soldiers and teaching Shui YouLian the Indian dance. Mu YingRui was busy spreading his seed on Wang Yiping¡¯s field.

    This busynesssted until the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Festival was a traditional Chinese holiday, the biggest during springtime. It was guaranteed to be busy.

    Although Wang Yiping was not in charge of festival matters, she was still busy due to the first household¡¯s matters. Because she was busy, she neglected Mu YingRui. In fact, since they could not be together at night,* they were lingering with each other during the daytime. Many festival preparations were thrown to the heavens.

    [*TL Note: This probably happened in the missing Chapter 41]

    Even the gift for Wang Yiping¡¯s maiden family, Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor, was not prepared.

    At this time, Wang Yiping thought of the ves Zi You bought. She wanted to pick four neat girls to give and show piety to her maiden family so she urged Mu YingRui.

    Chapter 44 Making Waves Again [1], Part 2

    Mu YingRui readily agreed. He said, ¡°Go get the people from dimei [younger brother¡¯s wife]. She is busy preparing the festival offerings. It¡¯s not good if we bypass her. If she dares to refuse, I will discuss it with father. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let my darling suffer.¡±

    With Mu YingRui¡¯s support, Wang Yiping went filled with confidence to find N¨¦e Liu.

    She told N¨¦e Liu, ¡°Dimei, I was taking care of your older brother these days and did not prepare a gift for my maiden family. It¡¯s about to be the Festival soon and I cannot return home empty-handed. How about this? Didn¡¯t You¡¯er bought a lot of ves? I will pick four presentable maidservants and gift them to father.¡±

    N¨¦e Liu immediately deeply frowned. She lightly replied, ¡°If sister-inw wants anything else in this household, I can make the decision. But those forty-nine ves, I can¡¯t do anything about. Father said he had a use for them. No one is allowed to touch them.¡±

    Wang Yiping was immediately unhappy. Of course, she was unhappy not because she was angry. She put on an aggrieved expression, rubbed her eyes, and said with hidden bitterness, ¡°I knew it was going to be like this. In this house, I¡¯m a master in name, but I¡¯m not evenparable to some ves. In the capital, which family¡¯s festival preparations are not done by the eldest daughter-inw? Only the Great General¡¯s household is an exception. And now buying forty-nine ves, I can¡¯t even get four. I...I...¡±

    She turned and left in tears. No matter how N¨¦e Liu called her, she didn¡¯t turn back.

    Back in her courtyard, Wang Yiping was sad with grievances. She cried like pear blossoms in the rain. Mu YingRui was distressed. He hugged her in his arms.

    When Wang Yiping stopped crying, Mu YingRui immediately went to find Old General Mu.

 Chapter 45 Making Waves Again [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 45 Making Waves Again [2], Part 1</h4>

    But then he thought about his old father¡¯s disdain for him and his fiery hot temper. Mu YingRui retreated back his extended foot.

    It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t afraid. That year when he took in two concubines and neglected Dier, Old General Mu beat him twenty times with military rods. He could not get out of bed for half a month.

    Now, if he thought about that beating, his whole body shivered. If he didn¡¯t receive Dier¡¯s attentive treatment, the doctor said one of his legs would beme.

    The military rod was unlike any other stick in the Manor. It was thicker than an adult¡¯s arm and was wrapped with barbed metal on top. As soon as it hit the buttocks, several dozen small blood drops immediately appeared. He suffered this terrible pain for six times before he fainted away.

    Mu YingRui was afraid of his father¡¯s temper and that he would hit him again. He had to angrily tell Wang Yiping, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I will solve this matter. I will definitely not let you be wronged.¡±

    How was Mu YingRui going to solve this matter? That was, he went to find Zi You. If Zi You personally asked for the ves, not only N¨¦e Liu, but even Old General Mu would not refuse.

    Mu YingRui thought of sending for his daughter now. Zi You was still in ss with the female ves. He had someone fetch her to the study, telling her Laoye wanted to see her.

    Zi You bluntly said, ¡°Tell father to wait. I¡¯m practicing martial arts now. I can¡¯t go.¡±

    After an hour, Zi You would finish her ss. Mu YingRui sent people over to urge her. But not only N¨¦e Liu found out, Old General Mu did too.

    Chapter 45 Making Waves Again [2], Part 2

    N¨¦e Liu told Old General Mu about Wang Yiping wanting maidservants. Old General Mu angrily wanted to immediately find Mu YingRui. But Zi You stopped him, ¡°Grandfather, father must have been influenced by mother again. You can¡¯t afford to be angry with them. You don¡¯t have to go. I will go. I want to see what father and mother will say.¡±

    Zi You leisurely went to Mu YingRui¡¯s study.

    As she walked in, Mu YingRui angrily shouted, ¡°Kneel! You disobedient and unfilial thing!¡±

    Zi You calmly kneeled. She asked innocently, ¡°If daughter is wrong, may father please discipline. But the crime of being disobedient and unfilial, daughter cannot afford to bear. Father, please express where daughter was unfilial?¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s hand mmed the table. He self-confidently scolded, ¡°Father wants to see you. You refuse many times. You let father wait for you. If this isn¡¯t being unfilial, then what is it?¡±

    Zi You was not panicked and unhurriedly replied, ¡°Daughter was practicing internal strength. If interrupted halfway, the results would range from being lightly injured to severely going mad. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. If daughter is injured or goes mad, wouldn¡¯t the whole Manor¡¯s elders be busy worrying for daughter and have a bad holiday? That is really unfilial. Daughter could not immediatelye see father but didn¡¯t the servants exin to father? If father says daughter is disobedient and unfilial based on this matter, then daughter cannot ept the me.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words almost made Mu YingRui copse. He pointed violently at her, ¡°Is this the attitude you should have as someone¡¯s child? Your elder says one sentence, but you return so many?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s face was filled with grievances. She said with hidden bitterness, ¡°Father is considered an official of themon people. When you judge cases and someone has a grievance, do you not let them cry injustice?¡±

    ¡°You...you...¡± Mu YingRui, this prefecture¡¯s official, was made speechless.

 Chapter 46 Trading Moves Again [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 46 Trading Moves Again [1], Part 1</h4>

    ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t talk back to your father. Your father is thinking for your own good. You¡¯re a girl but you don¡¯t learn needlework, ¡®Female Virtues¡¯ or ¡®Female Disciplines.¡¯ You spend all day wielding spears and knives. I¡¯m worried about you. That¡¯s why I lecture you.¡±

    At this point, Wang Yiping came over to be a good person. She helped Zi You up and pretended to lovingly help her pat off nonexistent dust from her knees.

    She couldn¡¯t help but be gloomy. Fortunately she came over. Otherwise, not only would they not obtain their objective, but if this darned girlined, then wouldn¡¯t they [Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui] suffer a loss?

    Thinking of this, Wang Yiping said softly to Mu YingRui, ¡°Laoye, speak gently to You¡¯er. You have good intentions but with your temper, You¡¯er would misunderstand.¡± She winked at him.

    Huh! Good intentions. It would be strange if you two have good intentions. One yed a good person, one yed a bad person. You think others are fools? I was deceived by your fake mother¡¯s tenderness. If I¡¯m deceived a second time, then I deserve to go to hell! But I¡¯ve been to that hell in my previous life. It¡¯s both of your turns to go there this lifetime.

    Zi You coldly sneered to herself. She grabbed Wang Yiping¡¯s arm and smiled; ¡°Only mother knows how to love me. Father only knows how to scold me. You don¡¯t have to worry. You¡¯er knows propriety. Actually, I did not neglect needlework, ¡®Female Virtues¡¯ or ¡®Female Disciplines.¡¯ If father doesn¡¯t believe, he can test me. As to martial arts, I didn¡¯t run around with swords. I just followed grandfather to learn internal strength to strengthen my physical fitness so people won¡¯t gossip about it. Thest time daughter was sick, it scared people. If people know that Great Yan¡¯s Great General, who¡¯s the most powerful in martial arts, had a granddaughter with such a weak body, wouldn¡¯t the General¡¯s Manor be aughingstock?¡±

    Chapter 46 Trading Moves Again [1], Part 2

    Mu YingRui saw Wang Yiping¡¯s wink and heard Zi You¡¯s words. His heart couldn¡¯t help but jump. When he recalled that Zi You¡¯s illness was caused by his and Wang Yiping¡¯s poisoning, he guiltily lowered his head.

    The earlier anger disappeared without a trace. He put on a fake smile and air of concern, ¡°Ah! Father is just like your mother. I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be absorbed with learning martial arts and neglect what girls should learn. It¡¯s better if girls are more gentle and quiet or how else would they get married? After the festival, the teacher your mother found would arrive. Don¡¯t disappoint me or your mother and learn etiquette properly.¡±

    Zi You answered without changing her expression, ¡°Yes, daughter will follow father and mother¡¯s teachings. If father and mother have nothing else, daughter will leave.¡± She turned to leave.

    Wang Yiping saw and she anxiously looked at Mu YingRui. He nodded and immediately tried to stop her, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Father still has something to ask you.¡±

    Zi You knew they wanted to bring up the maidservant thing. The speech before was to give themselves an out so that she straightforwardly agree to what they want. When Zi You thought of how her own biological father faking and manipting his words, she couldn¡¯t help but want to scold him. What father? He wasn¡¯t even a dog or a pig! To fulfill his and his woman¡¯s wishes, he was willing to do all sorts of immoral things!

    Zi You¡¯s heart was filled with hatred but her face was expressionless. She faintly smiled with pure-like-water eyes causing the two to shamefully turn away.

    Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t help but sweat a bit. His daughter¡¯s eyes were terrifying. It seemed like they could see through everything.

 Chapter 47 Trading Moves Again [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 47 Trading Moves Again [2], Part 1</h4>

    Because of guilt, his voice was less forceful. ¡°I heard you bought more than fifty maidservants. Why aren¡¯t you using them? Even if you use them...you can¡¯t use that many. Just give your mother four. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. She is going back to your maternal grandparents¡¯ house. She didn¡¯t have time to buy anything. Why don¡¯t you choose four neat girls and give them to your maternal grandparents?¡±

    Maternal grandparents? My maternal grandparents are in India. Wang Yiping¡¯s family¡¯s home had nothing to do with me. Why should I gift them anything?

    Zi You coldly sneered in her heart. But her tone was very polite, ¡°Ah? Mother did not prepare gifts for her parents? Daughter already prepared gifts for you and maternal grandparents. How about this? I¡¯ll go talk to Aunt. Let her subtract some gifts away from other manors. Together with what daughter prepared for maternal grandparents, it should be enough.¡±

    Although the words were polite, it was as though giving a loud p to the two.

    I, Mu Zi You, was a daughter left behind by your deceased wife. I already prepared gifts for your second wife¡¯s parents. But you, as their own daughter, had not prepared anything yet. What were you doing?

    Sure enough, Wang Yiping¡¯s face reddened like a monkey¡¯s butt. And Mu YingRui was angry, ¡°I told you to send four maidservants over. Just send them over after you pick them out. No, let your mother personally choose is okay too. Why are you saying so much nonsense?¡±

    Zi You immediately looked aggrieved at Wang Yiping. Trembling with fear and trepidation, she said, ¡°Isn¡¯t daughter just worried about mother? Mother is not doing the festival preparations and is not very busy every day. But she still hasn¡¯t prepared any gifts for her maternal family. Her body must be unwell. Otherwise, how could she be so neglectful? Knowing mother¡¯s health is not good, is it unfilial of daughter to not ask? Father, why are you angry? You¡¯re so angry today, is it because of mother¡¯s poor health?¡±

    The two were blocked speechless by Zi You¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t retort one sentence. If Wang Yiping was not sick, then it was equal to saying she had no filial piety. If Wang Yiping was sick, then inviting the doctor would be too embarrassing!

    Chapter 47 Trading Moves Again [2], Part 2

    The two were angered by Zi You until their livers hurt. Finally, Wang Yiping smoothly said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing big, but mother is a little tired. If you¡¯re not willing to give the maidservants to mother, then...¡±

    ¡°How can it be like that? Mother, let¡¯s invite a doctor over to check. Sometimes a small illness left untreated would be a serious illness.¡±

    Zi You interrupted Wang Yiping¡¯s unfinished words. She turned around and ran out.

    The two wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves, but did not bring her back.

    Wang Yiping was angered into tears again. She said bitterly to Mu YingRui, ¡°Did you see? Your daughter doesn¡¯t listen to our words. If she doesn¡¯t talk back, she interrupts. It¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t have me, her mother, in her eyes. But she doesn¡¯t even have you, her father, in her eyes. It really makes people¡¯s hearts grow cold.¡±

    Egged on by her, Mu YingRui was angry again. He pped hard on the table, ¡°She dares? If she disobeys me, I will break her legs!¡±

    He discontentedly looked at Wang Yiping, ¡°You too. Why do you always use illness as an excuse? If the darned girl invites a doctor again and finds out you¡¯re not sick, what would you do? Really, impossibly stupid. Telling the same lie every time. My fingertip still pains today.¡±*

    [*TL Note: This probably happened in the missing Chapter 41]

    He flicked his sleeves and left the study. He didn¡¯t dare to stay longer. If the doctor came and found out Wang Yiping was faking an illness, his father would peel his skin.

 Chapter 48 Scum Father is Kicked, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 48 Scum Father is Kicked, Part 1</h4>

    Father would not be like him, all bark and no bite. When his father turned angry, he might even kill him. Therefore, he needed to first run.

    Wang Yiping saw Mu YingRui ran away and was angry enough to faint. She started cursing him. Coward! Every time you see your father, you¡¯re a weakling. She spat at him!

    However,e to think of it, once the doctor came, what would she say? I can¡¯t let them find out I¡¯m lying.

    Wang Yiping frantically ran back to her room. Seeing Mu YingRui had not returned yet, resentment red up again.

    He was not limited to only one woman. If she annoyed him, he could find other women for pleasure. But she had to stay alone and be angry and sad.

    The doctor was invited over by Zi You. He took Wang Yiping¡¯s pulse and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head again. He said the same words to Mu YingRui, ¡°Everything in moderation. Bedroom activities are normal and beneficial to the body. But overdoing it would cause harm.¡±*

    [*TL Note: This probably happened in the missing Chapter 41]

    Thest sentences were not easy to say. This furen was young and was married less than a year. But it seemed she used contraceptive drugs for such a long time. If she wanted children in the future, it would not be easy. She must nurse her body back to health.

    But these words he adamantly would not say. What matters weren¡¯t there in noble families? Keeping his mouth shut would protect himself.

    However, Old General Mu was angry and turned to settle ounts with his son.

    He called Mu YingRui to his study. But before he could kneel, Old General Mu kicked him down and in a towering rage scolded, ¡°This old man has lived his life honestly and cleanly. I have never made aughingstock of myself before. Now, again and again, my face is thrown away! You two have the face to ask your child be worried and find the doctor again and again? To make her worried again and again? You don¡¯t have any shame? Ah? Didn¡¯t I tell you to sleep in the study? Why do you not listen? And you have the face to ask your dimei for maidservants as gifts to hand out. You don¡¯t do anything all day. What are you busy with? You don¡¯t even properly prepare a gift for the rtives? Now You¡¯er still has to make moon cakes. You still count as parents? Animals are better than you!¡±

    Chapter 48 Scum Father is Kicked, Part 2

    *Some kind anonymous person bought me lots of coffees! Thank you for your support! ? Here is the promised 4 FULL chapters, released in 8 parts MASS RELEASE! Happy reading!]

    Old General Mu finished scolding, but was still angry. He went over to kick his son hard in the legs. He warned, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, watch yourself. If you do something so embarrassing again, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡±

    In front of his father, Mu YingRui did not dare to be impudent. He knew his father was not all bark and no bite. He would absolutely act.

    Mu YingRui lowered his head and agreed. He didn¡¯t even dare to look once at Old General Mu. He kept kowtowing, admitting his mistakes.

    Fortunately, Old General Mu saw his attitude was good and let him go.

    Mu YingRui was filled with anger. He med Zi You for being credulous in believing that wind was rain. He was also angry at Wang Yiping.

    That woman was a busybody! During the whole day, if it¡¯s not this thing, it¡¯s that thing. If she didn¡¯t urge him to get some maidservants, his father wouldn¡¯t be angry and kicked him.

    He could only shout in pain being kicked. Mu YingRui touched the ce where his father kicked him. He went to the courtyard of the Second Yiniang he hadn¡¯t visited for a long time.

    Second Yiniang had not weed Laoye here for a long time. She was looking at her maidservant Cuixi meaningfully while tenderly smiling. ¡°Laoye! Beiqie [Literally: this humble concubine] pays respects to Laoye. Wishing Laoye good fortune.¡±

 Chapter 49 Also Not Easy to Deal With [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 49 Also Not Easy to Deal With [1], Part 1</h4>

    Mu YingRui nodded and reclined spread-eagled on the bed. He pulled Second Yiniang over, ¡°Quickly, help this Ye massage. This Ye is paining to death.¡±

    Second Yiniang immediately pretended to be distressed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Don¡¯t frighten beiqie. Why randomly hurt? Where does it hurt? Is it bad?¡±

    Mu YingRui saw Second Yiniang was so concerned about him and his heart was morefortable. He pulled her and kissed her face. He lecherously said, ¡°Your heart worries about this Ye? Then serve Ye well.¡±

    Second Yiniang said, a bit grudgingly, ¡°Beiqie wants to serve Laoye well, but Laoye doesn¡¯t give beiqie an opportunity to.¡±

    Mu YingRui thought that he hadn¡¯te here in a long time and immediately smiled embarrassedly, ¡°Aren¡¯t I here now? The opportunity is yours tonight.¡±

    Second Yiniang was so happy she was in tears. She took the chance to tell Laoye how much she longed for and missed him. The corny words made Mu YingRui unable to wait until nighttime to unsheathe his sword from his scabbard.

    Second Yiniang thought of the things she inquired these past few days and immediately stopped Mu YingRui. She pretended to be distressed and said, ¡°Laoye, actually beiqie also wants...and misses Laoye¡¯s urgency. But beiqie heard that these days, Laoye¡¯s body was suffering from kidney issues. If beiqie doesn¡¯t stop Laoye now, is beiqie still human? Beiqie may be of low birth but I can¡¯t risk disregard Laoye¡¯s body for beiqie¡¯s selfish desires. Laoye, you must take care of yourself! If beiqie leaves Laoye, she isn¡¯t able to live on!¡±

    These words did not mention Wang Yiping. But, in fact, every word was condemning her for not thinking for the sake of Mu YingRui¡¯s body.

    Chapter 49 Also Not Easy to Deal With [1], Part 2

    Finally, she reminded Mu YingRui that she could not survive without him. But it was hard to say with furen. Otherwise, why would she not stop her [Wang Yiping] and him from doing ¡°it¡±?

    Furen was born to a rich, noble family, unlike her: lowborn and on one¡¯s own.

    Second Yiniang was the daughter of a merchant. How could she not have a bit of scheming? So, none of the women in these courtyards were easy to deal with.

    With Second Yiniang¡¯s urgings, he immediately formed opinions on Wang Yiping. Because Second Yiniang was correct. Wang Yiping knew of his kidney issues, but still kept entangling with him. She didn¡¯t let go of him even in the daytime. Wasn¡¯t this asking for his life?

    Mu YingRui recalled that because of her, he suffered a kick from his father. He immediately told Second Yiniang, ¡°Only Yan¡¯er (Second Yiniang¡¯s name was Xi Yan) knows to care for this Ye! Furen is too young to be sensible. If it wasn¡¯t because of her today, this Ye wouldn¡¯t have been reprimanded by my father.¡±

    Mu YingRui spoke of how Wang Yiping egged him on to obtain maidservants. Second Yiniang immediately eximed, ¡°Heavens! No wonder Lao TaiYe was angry. Laoye doesn¡¯t know what the ves were bought for? They were special gifts Xiaojie presented to Lao TaiYe and Second Ye [Mu YingYi]. Xiaojie said she would teach them martial arts and medicine so they could follow Lao TaiYe and Second Ye onto the battlefield to help wounded soldiers. Of course Xiaojie wouldn¡¯t agree to give these girls to anyone. Furen thus egged on Laoye to get the girls, no wonder Lao Taiye beats Laoye and is angry with Laoye for being unfilial.¡±

    ¡°What! There is such a thing?¡± Only at this time, did Mu YingRui found out his daughter¡¯s intentions for purchasing the ves.

 Chapter 50 Also Not Easy to Deal With [2],

    <h4>Chapter 50 Also Not Easy to Deal With [2],</h4>

    Second Yiniang saw Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes constantly moving around and immediately secretly sneered. Huh! Furen? Just a cheap concubine-born [Shu] girl. Want to ride on thisdy¡¯s head? I¡¯ll let you taste thisdy¡¯s means today.

    Second Yiniang was fighting for favor that year with Third Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang. Only Dier did not try to drive a wedge between them and Mu YingRui.

    Mu YingRui and Dier gradually drifted apart. She and Third Yiniang contributed to that. If there were no schemes, how could she sessfully have given birth to the first household¡¯s Shu son?

    She hated Wang Yiping not only for one or two days because ever since Wang Yiping married over, Mu YingRui rarely came to her. But when Dier was alive, Mu YingRui frequently came over.

    Moreover, Dier didn¡¯t set up rules, reproached them or treated them like less than humans.

    However, Wang Yiping was too bad. She often enved them with rules and the most hateful of all, hogged Laoye to herself and didn¡¯t let him sleep with them.

    Therefore,pared to Dier, Second Yiniang hated Wang Yiping more, to the point of hating her to the bones.

    One man had three Yiniangs and three Tongfang maidservants [maidservants without status who sleeps with the master], but one woman hogged him all to herself. It would be strange if there¡¯s no grudge among the other women.

    Second Yiniang heard Mu YingRui¡¯s question and secretly sneered coldly. She already cursed Wang Yiping¡¯s twelve generations of ancestors. That slut! In the middle of the day, she was entangling with Laoye and infatuating him so his spirit and soul were upside down. He wasn¡¯t even aware such a big thing happened in the house.

    Second Yiniang¡¯s heart was filled with hatred, but it wasn¡¯t apparent on her face. She only looked concerned for Mu YingRui. ¡°Laoye, it¡¯s all over the house. Xiaojie is struggling to train the newly-bought female ves to follow Lao TaiYe to the battlefield. Furen should know this. How can she not tell Laoye and tell Laoye to ask for the ves? Ah, perhaps furen is angry at Xiaojie. She thinks that Xiaojie did not send her maternal grandparents gifts over the Mid-Autumn Fesitval. Aiyo! This is wrongly using Xiaojie. Bieqie heard that Xiaojie is currently personally making moon cakes to give to her maternal grandparents.¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s dissatisfaction towards Wang Yiping increased again. With his hands groping and kneading Second Yiniang, he said, ¡°Only Yan¡¯er cares about Laoye. Laoye neglected you in the past. In the future, Laoye wille more often.¡±

    This was the first time since Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping married that Mu YingRui did not have dinner with her nor slept in her courtyard.

    The maidservant Wang Yiping sent to find Laoye returned and told her, ¡°Laoye said he¡¯s eating dinner at Second Yiniang¡¯s. He will note here tonight.¡± Wang Yiping angrily broke some tea sets.

    Of course, Zi You quickly learnt of this matter. She immediately had ShiYun give a good pair of Southern pearl earrings to Second Yiniang. ¡°Second Yiniang, this is what Xiaojie told this ve to send to you. She said that you serve Laoye very well. You deserve a reward.¡±

    Second Yiniang instinctively understood. She smiled and thanked her, ¡°ShiYun, please help me thank Xiaojie! I will do my best to serve Laoye well in the future.¡± The enemy of your enemy was your friend. Wang Yiping, wait for my next move. Second Yiniang, Third Yiniang, Fourth Yiniang, Fifth Yiniang...would be your enemy. One move per person would not let you be idle or lonely.

 Chapter 51 Roping â€œMaternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 51 Roping ¡°Maternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [1], Part 1</h4>

    The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Wang Yiping needed to return home to hand out Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. She wanted Mu YingRui to apany her but he actually turned her down.

    The reason was adequate: ¡°Brother and dimei also went to her maiden family¡¯s. If I go with you to your maiden family¡¯s, then wouldn¡¯t my father have to eat lunch alone? Go back on your own.¡±

    He was secretlyining to himself. ¡°You want this Ye to go back with you to hand out gifts? How ridiculous! If not for your stupid gift, I wouldn¡¯t have been kicked by father. This Ye still pains all over. Really such a slut. Second Yiniang, Third Yiniang, and Fourth Yiniang think of everything for this Ye¡¯s sake. Only you keep pestering this Ye for ¡®that¡¯.¡±

    Mu YingRui knew to renege on this matter. This morning, his three concubines gathered gifts and looked at him. ¡°After seeing Xiaojie making moon cakesst night, we knew the gift for furen¡¯s maiden family was not ready yet. So bieqie made this through the night. Laoye, it¡¯s not that bieqie speak ill of furen, but what Di [legitimate-born] Xiaojie would prepare gifts for her stepmother¡¯s maiden family? If Lao TaiYe finds out, wouldn¡¯t he me Laoye again? It¡¯s good Xiaojie is kindhearted and hid this matter from Lao TaiYe and Second Furen. Or else, wouldn¡¯t Laoye be punished by Lao TaiYe again?¡±

    When Mu YingRui remembered that a stepmother¡¯s maiden family was not considered his daughter¡¯s real maternal grandparents¡¯ family, he unconsciously broke out into a cold sweat.

    Fortunately his daughter did notin or he would suffer his father¡¯s kick again.

    This misfortune was brought to me all because of this woman! Mu YingRui thought of this and ignored Wang Yiping. He told his three concubines, ¡°Let¡¯s go. This Ye orders that the courtyard be decorated beautifully. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. We¡¯ll admire the moon in the courtyard tonight.¡± He walked leisurely away with his concubines and left an angry Wang Yiping behind.

    Chapter 51 Roping ¡°Maternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [1], Part 2

    Zi You quickly learned of this matter. Her eyes turned and she took the initiative to find Wang Yiping. ¡°Mother, let me apany you to Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor. We¡¯ll return right after we hand out the gifts.¡±

    Wang Yiping was so angry, she was tearful. She wanted to refuse originally but once she thought of Duke Yingguo¡¯s Di furen¡¯s taunting face, she helplessly nodded. She and Zi You got on the horse carriage together.

    Along the way, Wang Yiping did not speak a word. Zi You coldly smiled on the inside, but had a face of innocence. She spoke of what she saw and heard on her outing that day.

    The troubled Wang Yiping took advantage of Zi You not paying attention and stared viciously at her. Her gaze was more ruthless and scary than a poisonous viper.

    After arriving at Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor, the two went to pay their respects to Duke Yingguo furen.

    After the courtesies, Duke Yingguo furen casually said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t fourth guye [Son-inw, i.e. Mu YingRui]e back with you? You didn¡¯te back yesterday. I thought you weren¡¯ting. What did you bring back? It¡¯s not moon cakes, right?¡±

    The gifts were prepared by N¨¦e Liu and Zi You. Wang Yiping never asked what they were. Later, because she was angry Mu YingRui was not going with her to her maiden family¡¯s, she was so angry she didn¡¯t even see the gift list. Therefore, she didn¡¯t know what the gifts were.

    Floundering for a bit and not saying much, she hurriedly changed the subject. She asked Duke Yingguo furen, ¡°Are you in good health? When you are old, be careful not to get angry easily.¡±

    This slut was just as hateful as her yiniang mother; daring to say I¡¯m old.

    Duke Yingguo furen, N¨¦e Chu, stared hard at Wang Yiping. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Without cheap sluts being cheap, there is nothing wrong.¡±

 Chapter 52 Roping â€œMaternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 52 Roping ¡°Maternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [2], Part 1</h4>

    Duke Yingguo furen looked disdainfully at the Shu daughter. Smiling insincerely, she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that after you married over, guye dotes on you? Why didn¡¯t you twoe back yesterday? Your older sister¡¯s husband and younger sister¡¯s husband are still talking about you.¡±

    Her heart thought, ¡®Slut! You want to anger me? Your thinking is too shallow!¡¯

    Great Yan¡¯s customs stipted that the three days before and the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, one could return to her maiden family. But at nighttime, she must be at her mother-inw¡¯s.

    Duke Yingguo furen wasughing at Wang Yiping for not having her husband apany her back to her maiden family.

    Wang Yiping was ufortable listening of course. She immediately made a face and coldly replied, ¡°Your fourth guye is unwell. I was busy these few days taking care of him.¡±

    She then nced at Zi You and said huffily, ¡°You¡¯er, after we see yiniang, we will leave.¡±

    You want me to see your cheap actress biological mother? I won¡¯t even look at her window, much less enter her door.

    Zi You¡¯s heart was scoling but her face was soft. ¡°Mother, you go. You¡¯er will stay here to chat with Waipo [Maternal grandmother].¡±

    She smilingly went over to N¨¦e Chu. She smiled obediently with a clever face, ¡°Waipo, can I chat with you?¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± N¨¦e Chu grabbed Zi You¡¯s jade-like hand and proudlyughed. ¡°Good, good. You really are Waipo¡¯s good granddaughter!¡±

    Wang Yiping was angry and fiercely red at the two. She warned Zi You, ¡°Don¡¯t bother your Waipo.¡± She turned and went outside.

    Chapter 52 Roping ¡°Maternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [2], Part 2

    When Duke Yingguo furen saw that Zi You didn¡¯t go to visit Wang Yiping¡¯s lowly, cheap yiniang and rather apany her, immediately pretended to smile lovingly. ¡°You¡¯er, eat some grapes. They¡¯re sweet and fragrant. Very delicious.¡±

    Zi You picked up a bunch of grapes. While eating, she pretended to be a na?ve and innocent child and asked, ¡°Waipo likes eating grapes? Then do you like eating other fruits?¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen looked and smiled at Zi You. ¡°I like. But my teeth aren¡¯t good. I can¡¯t eat a lot of fruits.¡±

    Zi You immediately said, ¡°Really? Then the gifts I gave Waipo are appropriate. The moon cakes I made are filled with fruit puree. There¡¯s cantaloupe, grape, pineapple, and jujube paste fillings. I was afraid Waipo doesn¡¯t like to eat sweet things so the taste is very light. If Waipo doesn¡¯t believe, go taste them. You will certainly like eating them.¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen naturally said with great interest, ¡°Oh? Then Waipo will taste You¡¯er¡¯s handiwork.¡±

    Zi You immediately jumped from her chair and retrieved pineapple-stuffed moon cakes from the piles of gifts. She gave it to Duke Yingguo furen and smiled sweetly. ¡°Waipo, this is pineapple filling. You want to try it?¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen took the moon cake and took bites. Who knew that she couldn¡¯t stop with one mouthful. She ate the whole piece of moon cake.

    The moon cake¡¯s pineapple favor was strong. It was sweet but not greasy; soft and delicate. It melted in the mouth and was very delicious. It was many more times delicious than the moon cakes made in her house.

    Wishing to continue eating, she asked, ¡°You made these moon cakes? Then what did your mother prepare?¡±

    Zi You sighed and pretended to be ignorant. ¡°Mother¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. The doctor said something about whatever kidney deficiency and overdoing whatever bedroom matters. Daughter guesses that the first household was too busy so mother is overworked. So Aunt and I prepared the gifts for Waipo and Waigong [maternal grandfather]. Waipo, if you don¡¯t like the gifts, please forgive us.¡±

 Chapter 53 Roping â€œMaternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [3], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 53 Roping ¡°Maternal Grandmother [Waipo] in to Deal with Stepmother [3], Part 1</h4>

    Duke Yingguo furen gasped in anger! That lowly fox vixen was revolting just like her yiniang. She only knew how to please men all day. She didn¡¯t even prepare gifts for us so she could fool around with a half-dead old man,. She had the gall to have her dimei and the deceased wife¡¯s daughter busy themselves for her! Kidney deficiency? Why didn¡¯t she [Wang Yiping] die from the deficiency? She was wondering why that old man didn¡¯te and sent his daughter here. It seemed that he was enchanted by that vixen and couldn¡¯t get out of bed right? No wonder the vixen¡¯s expression was bad.

    Aiyo! How embarrassing! What would the Old General think of our Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor?

    I would have to ¡°boast¡± of his obedient daughter in front of Yingguo Laoye and see what would happen to her yiniang then.

    To find out Wang Yiping¡¯s secrets, Duke Yingguo furen¡¯s attitude to Zi You was exceptionally well.

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    Zi You seemed like an ignorant and innocent girl. She answered whatever questions she was asked.

    Soon, Duke Yingguo furen found out everything about Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping.

    Finally, the olddy was so happy she took a jade bracelet off her wrist. She handed it to Zi You. ¡°This is Waipo¡¯s first-meeting gift to you. Waipo likes you very much. You have toe y here more often.¡±

    The jade bracelet¡¯s color was very good. The body was translucent, with no blemishes. It should be very valuable. Zi You was quiet for a long time. She only epted the jade bracelet when she saw the olddy pretend to turn hostile. She then put it on her own wrist.

    Chapter 53.2: Roping ¡°Maternal Grandmother [Waipo]¡± in to Deal with Stepmother [3], Part 2

    [TL Note: Please turn off your Ad-Blocker to support your trantors! If you like what I do, please consider supporting me!]

    She looked at the olddy with a deep smile. ¡°Waipo, You¡¯er likes you too. Since You¡¯er was born, she didn¡¯t have a paternal or maternal grandmother. Now that I see you, I¡¯m really happy!¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen was coaxed by Zi You into loudlyughing. When Wang Yiping returned, she saw her Di mother smiling from ear to ear. When Zi You wasn¡¯t paying attention, Wang Yiping fiercely red at her. Then she put on pleasant face. She said to Zi You, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should get back.¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen pretended to be very caring. ¡°It¡¯s so difficult for you toe back so why don¡¯t you have lunch before leaving? We don¡¯t want our inws tough at us forcking in manners. I heard that you were too busy with bedroom matters. You overworked yourself and your body¡¯s now deficient. I¡¯ll have the kitchen make you a kidney-fortifying soup. Drink it, then go back.¡±

    The words of concern were spoken with a mocking face.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s face immediately reddened like a monkey¡¯s butt. She resentfully red at Zi You and then said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Thank you, mother! If there¡¯s nothing else, daughter will return first.¡±

    She slightly curtsied and turned away. She walked very quickly. After Zi You and Duke Yingguo furen said their goodbyes, there was no trace of her shadow.

    Zi You slowly walked. She was happy enough to want to sing out loud. Angering Wang Yiping until her heart, kidney, liver and lungs pain and she reverted back to her original form was a very pleasurable thing.

    Zi You lightly smiled and got on the horse carriage. As soon as she sat down, Wang Yiping angrily said, ¡°What were you talking about with that old woman? Where does a noble daughter get so much nonsense from?¡±

    You finally couldn¡¯t pretend anymore? Zi You secretly sneered coldly. But she pretended to be afraid and aggrieved. Ayer of mist quickly covered her big eyes. She weakly said, ¡°Mother, why are you so angry? What did You¡¯er say that was wrong? Isn¡¯t the old woman your mother? She cares about you. That¡¯s why she was asking for news about you from daughter. Daughter can¡¯t tell her how you¡¯re doing at the General¡¯s Manor? Daughter doesn¡¯t know what she said wrong. Can you tell daughter?¡±

 Chapter 54: Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 54: Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [1], Part 1</h4>

    ¡°You!¡± Wang Yiping was angry. After taking a long time to calm down, she forced out a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Mother is just angry because you shouldn¡¯t be too close with that old woman. Don¡¯t be fooled by her appearance. She¡¯s actually a very bad person. Also, she¡¯s not your true Waipo. Your true Waipo is my yiniang. If you go to Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor in the future, just paying respects to my yiniang is enough.¡±

    Huh! You want this Great General¡¯s Di Xiaojie to pay respects to your lowly actress yinaing? What do you think I am?

    Zi You was furious, but her face was ignorant. ¡°Isn¡¯t that incorrect, mother? Aunt told me only Duke Yingguo and his furen could receive my formal respects. Even if it¡¯s Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor¡¯s xiaojies, I only need to half-curtsy. Those whatever yiniangs are only half-ves and half-masters. They should curtsy to me when they see me. Also, I shouldn¡¯t have to go pay respects to them. But you¡¯re telling me differently. Aiya! I don¡¯t know who to. I¡¯ll go back and ask grandfather.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Wang Yiping hurriedly stopped her. She gritted her teeth in a smile. ¡°Actually, I misspoke. You don¡¯t have to ask your grandfather. The Great General is busy. Don¡¯t bother him all the time.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Zi You seemed respectful, but her heart was coldly sneering. The next time I go to Duke Yingguo¡¯s Manor, I would tell your Di mother the words you just said.

    Back at the General¡¯s Manor, the Old General was worried Wang Yiping made things difficult for Zi You. He immediately summoned her to his study and carefully questioned her.

    Zi You was touched. She repeatedly reassured the Old General. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m fine. Really. I¡¯m not afraid of her right now. She doesn¡¯t know martial arts. She couldn¡¯t fight and win over me. At most, she would scold me a few times. Let her scold. I¡¯m not angry. In return, I would anger her half to death. She won¡¯t be able to get any advantage from me.¡±

    The Old General saw she was cheerful and was reassured.

    Chapter 54 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [1], Part 2

    After lunch, Zi You took Shui YouLian into Hundred Herb Garden. She closed the door and began the final preparations for tonight¡¯s performance.

    She had already drawn a costume based on the sari her mother left behind. ShiYun and ShuiYun had alreadypleted it.

    The musical instruments she ordered were already delivered. She ying her mother¡¯s WeiNa Zither and ShiYun ying percussion already coborated many times. It was notpletelypatible, but around 70%-80%.

    Thecking part was Shui YouLian¡¯s Indian dance. It was less an Indian dance, but more of a dance on the vicissitudes of life.

    But perhaps her g father would like this version of it.

    The evening wind brushed like a beautiful silk fan: so light and so soft. An ice-like moon quietly shone in the deep sky casting a pale light: so hazy and so tempting.

    The night finally arrived. The General¡¯s Manor¡¯s garden was filled with osmanthus fragrance and brilliant lights.

    Zi You had people tie a variety ofnterns in long strings around the garden¡¯s osmanthus trees and under the grape vines. The whole garden was decorated like a dream, simr to a poem.

    Great Yan¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival weed the arrival of winter and offered sacrifices. The ceremony called for setting uprge incenses and putting out moon cakes, watermelon, apples, red candles, plums, grapes, and other offerings. The moon cakes and watermelon could absolutely not be missing. The watermelon should be carved into a lotus. Under the moonlight, the moon statue should be ced in the direction of the moon. Red candles would burn bright. The whole family would worship the moon. Then thedy of the house would cut open the moon cake.

 Chapter 55 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 55 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [2], Part 1</h4>

    The person who was cutting the moon cake should have calcted in advance how many people were in the family. People at home and those outside should be counted together, not one more or one less. The slices should all be the same size.

    The General¡¯s Manor¡¯s people were all here tonight. The second household¡¯s poption count was simple. Mu YingYi did not have concubines so that was only four people.

    But the first household¡¯s poption wasrge. Mu YingRui had one wife, three concubines, three Tongfangs. In addition to the Di daughter Zi You, there was a Shu son and Shu daughter.

    Second Yiniang gave birth to the elder Shu son, Mu QingCheng. He was almost ten years old and had almost no sense of presence.

    One didn¡¯t know if it was due to drunken stupor sexual rtions, but he had a wooden personality and wasn¡¯t very bright. He was a far crypared to Mu YingYi¡¯s two sons.

    He was not capable in martial or civil areas. Old General Mu rarely saw this Shu grandson.

    Third Yiniang had no children. She was pregnant before, but after three months, she and Mu YingRui did ¡®that.¡¯ It was a miscarriage and a male child. Mu YingRui was regretful enough to want to die.

    The consequences of that was that Third Yiniang never got pregnant again.

    Fourth Yiniang had a daughter named Mu HongYe. She was five years old. Both her appearance and intelligence were notparable to Zi You.

    But Mu YingRui doted on her to death. Whatever good things there were, he sent them to her first.

    To this, both Old General Mu and Mu YingYi could not understand. He didn¡¯t love an intelligent, beautiful Di daughter. But he loved a not-so-excellent Shu daughter. Was his head growing grass?

    Fortunately, Fourth Yiniang was not stupid. She knew in the General¡¯s Manor, what her husband said didn¡¯t matter. Old General Mu was the pir. So she always never dared to scheme on Zi You. She was afraid if Old General Mu found out, she would be dead without a burial site. Otherwise, Zi You¡¯s situation would be worse.

    Chapter 55 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [2], Part 2

    N¨¦e Liu cut the moon cake based on the number of people. Looking at her smiling face, Wang Yiping¡¯s face was turning green from anger.

    She thought that she, as the eldest son¡¯s wife, should be the one to cut the moon cake. But now, the one who¡¯s doing it was this whatever N¨¦e Liu. Wasn¡¯t this obviously bullying her?

    But she did not dare to demand this authority in front of Old General Mu. He was a first-rank divisionmander of soldiers in five cities, with control of one-third of Great Yan¡¯s Imperial Army in his hands. He stomped his feet and one-third of Great Yan¡¯s people would be affected.

    And Mu YingYi was a second-rank deputy general, higher-ranked than her own husband by several ranks.

    ording to the situation, N¨¦e Liu had already been conferred as a second-rank furen.

    But what was she? Her father Duke Yingguo was only an empty title with no real power. Till now, she had not even been granted a fourth-rank furen title.

    Mu YingRui had already submitted the paperwork. But it was like a stone sinking into a big ocean. It must be Old General Mu stopping this thing behind the scenes.

    She guessed correctly. It was indeed Old General Mu¡¯s words to the Emperor that yed a role. ¡°Emperor, it¡¯s not easy to say too much in front of outsiders. But I don¡¯t dare to hide anything from you. If it wasn¡¯t for this subject¡¯s first daughter-inw Dier, then subduing the rebellion in Nanjiang wouldn¡¯t have been so smooth. In this subject¡¯s heart, the eldest daughter-inw anddy of the house is only one person. That is Dier.¡±

    Once Old General Mu said that, Wang Yiping being granted a ranked furen title was a long way off.

    Zi You saw Wang Yiping¡¯s expression was bad and secretly sneered. She thought, ¡®There¡¯s more unpleasantness waiting for you.¡¯

    After worshipping and eating moon cakes, Mu YingRui wanted to go back and do ¡®that.¡¯ The yiniangs took turns sending him tonics these few days. His fire was flourishing and wanted to go put out the fire.

 Chapter 56 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [3], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 56 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [3], Part 1</h4>

    He wanted to leave but Zi You stood up and halted him. ¡°Father, don¡¯t go yet, okay? You¡¯er prepared gifts for grandfather, father, and uncle. Thest time at the market, You¡¯er only bought presents for mother and aunt, but not for grandfather, father, or uncle. You¡¯er has been ufortable about that. Taking advantage of this harmonious family festival today, You¡¯er prepared song and dance for grandfather, father, and uncle. Wishing grandfather, father, and uncle good fortune and all the best!¡±

    She had someone bring out the Indian musical instruments and she went to change outfits.

    When she came out, her new outfit made everyone stared.

    An ice-blue sari molded her graceful jade-like figure. Her fine ck hair was braided into one big braid with circlets of white silk jasmine flowers wrapped around it. Circlets of brilliantly sparkling diamonds wrapped around her slender wrists and ankles. A jeweled flower shimmering blue was between her eyebrows. A sparkling sapphire drop-shaped chain hung from her forehead. There were even diamonds attached above her eyebrows.

    Long butterfly-wingshes, silver-blue eye shadow, ruddy petal-like lips made her as elegant and morous as the moon.

    Her deep purple pair of beautiful eyes in the night underneath the moonlight was especially beautiful, like amethysts in the water. They were translucent, shiny, and crystal clear.

    Zi You picked up the WeiNa Zither and sat in front of the percussion instruments. She nodded lightly to ShiYun who was dressed in a white sari. Then her soft, jade-like hands started ying the Zither.

    For a time, exotic music filled with feelings echoed throughout the garden. Along with the music, Zi You sang an Indian song.

    Chapter 56 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [3], Part 2

    Everyone seemed to have heard a kingfisher ying in the water, a yellow warbler chirping, and a nightingale singing. The unending lingering sounds spread unearthly music throughout, like some lively spirits cleansing the soul.

    Soon, a woman wearing a red sari danced alongside Zi You¡¯s singing.

    A red, silver-embroidered sari tightly wrapped around the woman¡¯s slender frame. She had a slender jade neck, a crisp and small waist, and a pair of white jade, smooth and shapely arms that were half covered and half revealed. Even her beautiful lotus feet were silently enchanting and issuing a seductive invitation.

    The woman¡¯s appearance was undoubtedly morous. But what was attractive was not only her appearance, but also her demeanor.

    The woman¡¯s pair of phoenix eyes was moist and rippled with meekness, showing a tender weakness.

    Her red lips shined bright with luster. They were slightly open as if she had thousands of words to say to you. Seeing her, one¡¯s heart softened and couldn¡¯t help but want to take care of her.

    She wasn¡¯t stunning but her enchanting weakness inspired a man to protect and possess her so that he could not move his eyes away from her body.

    Fortunately, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were both gentlemen. They were not touched by beauty.

    But the lustful ghost Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t hold on. His eyes stared straight at her and he didn¡¯t even know when his saliva drooled out.

    Wang Yiping was angry and her nails almost pierced her skin. She struck Mu YingRui hard. She lowlyined, ¡°What does your daughter want to do? Where did she get this vixen from? She¡¯s not afraid of being a joke!¡±

    Mu YingRui nced at N¨¦e Liu and saw her smiling gently at Zi You. His anger rushed up like a fire.

 Chapter 57 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [4], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 57 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [4], Part 1</h4>

    He red fiercely at Wang Yiping and angrily said, ¡°Huh! You¡¯re such a busybody. The whole day, this is not right and that is not right. What is right with you then? Watching singing and dancing, but you can still nitpick!¡±

    Thest bit was spoken a little loudly. It attracted Old General Mu and the yiniangs to look over at Wang Yiping. Wang Yiping was angered almost to death.

    When Zi You¡¯s song ended, the red-clothed woman¡¯s dance ended too. The woman did not immediately leave, but twisted her body into a beautiful curtsy for good fortune.

    Then Zi You, ShiYun, and the woman in red came in front of Old General Mu, Mu YingYi and Mu YingRui together. They were all holding embroidered pouches.

    Zi you smiled and said, ¡°This is You¡¯er¡¯s personally-made embroidered pouch. Inside are pills You¡¯er created that can prevent poison and cure poison. They are for grandfather, father, and uncle to wear on their bodies to ensure safety.¡±

    Old General Mu took the pouch from Zi You and happily hung it on his waist. ¡°You¡¯er, grandfather is very d you¡¯re so sensible and filial. Grandfather will always carry this pouch.¡±

    Mu YingYi epted the pouch from ShiYun. He also smiled and praised, ¡°You¡¯re very thoughtful, You¡¯er. Uncle thanks you! Uncle will also always carry it with me.¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes were not on the pouch, but on the red-clothed woman, Shui YouLian, in front of him.

    Shui YouLian¡¯s pair of frail and timid phoenix eyes on her bashful face was shy and charming. She secretly looked at Mu YingRui, eyes rippling with an amorous feeling.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s heart rate sped up and his mouth went dry. While taking the pouch, he took the opportunity to pinch Shui YouLian¡¯s small hand.

    Chapter 57 Special Mid-Autumn Festival Gifts [3], Part 2

    Shu YouLian was startled. Her gaze at him was increasingly more soul-sucking.

    Zi You clearly saw the two¡¯s interaction, but she pretended to know nothing. ¡°Grandfather, why don¡¯t we go to the burning tower to guess riddles?¡±

    The ancient Mid-Autumn Festival¡¯s burning tower was made of broken bricks, tiles, tree branches and hay. It was a round kiln shape and was hollow in the middle. It would be burned at the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival and there would be a burning towerpetition. The redder and fiercer it burned, the better and more prosperous the year.

    Under the Mid-Autumn moon, lots ofnterns were hung in public ces. People gathered together to guess the riddles written on thenterns.

    Because it was an activity that young men and women love, romantic rumors and stories frequently spread. So guessing Mid-Autumnntern riddles meant trying to find a romantic partner.

    But Zi You was only twelve years old and she was going with her grandfather. Others would not suspect that she had an ulterior motive.

    Old General Mu was agreeing to Zi You when he heard ¡°Ah!¡± He turned and saw Shui YouLian bent at the waist, gasping and out of breath. She crumpled onto the ground.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zi You eximed with a hand over her mouth. ¡°YouLian...¡±

    At this time, Mu YingRui stepped forward and picked Shui YouLian up.

    Sess! Zi You secretlyughed. The next half was going to count on you, Shui YouLian. I hope you won¡¯t let me down.

    Zi You¡¯s heart was happy, but face was filled with anxiety. She ran over to Mu YingRui and cried, ¡°Father, quickly bring her into the house. She has asthma and can¡¯t by in the wind.¡±

    Mu YingRui didn¡¯t bid his father goodbye. He carried Shui YouLian and ran to his study that was closest to the garden.

    Zi You quickly took her leave and followed her father to the study.

 Chapter 58 If I Donâ€™t Go to Hell, Then Who Will? Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 58 If I Don¡¯t Go to Hell, Then Who Will? Part 1</h4>

    As she walked, Zi You¡¯s heart felt a little ufortable. Grandfather and uncle¡¯s probing looks and aunt¡¯s meaningful smile made her heart weak. It felt a bit like a thief being caught in the act.

    She could ignore Wang Yiping¡¯s vicious gaze and silent condemnation, but she could not be undisturbed in front of her grandfather and uncle.

    If they know that everything tonight was a carefully designed scheme to deal with Wang Yiping, would they be disappointed in her? After all, she was only a twelve-year-old child. But her mind was so evil and despicable that people would really be unable to ept it.

    But if she did not do this, the one to be destroyed would be she. It didn¡¯t matter if she died, but what about grandfather, uncle, aunt and her cousins?

    For the sake of her loved ones, Zi You, you cannot be softhearted. K?itigarbha Bodhisattva said, ¡°If I don¡¯t go to hell, then who will?¡± Let me go to hell then.

    Zi You gritted her teeth and her footsteps towards Mu YingRui¡¯s study grew firmer.

    Mu YingRui carried Shui YouLian into the study. He put her on top of the bed he usually took rest on.

    Shui YouLian had slightly closed eyes and slightly opened lips while lying on the bed. She was incessantly gasping. Her body was trembling, like weak and helpless leaves in the wind. A pair of long eyshes, like a row of fans, projected under her eyelids.

    Two small tears like crystal-clear crystals were congealed on the white-as-snow skin of her small face.

    Because they were in close proximity, one could smell the faint, fresh mint smell from her mouth.

    A pair of snow peaks tightly bound under the translucent red sari was faintly discernible. They were undting up and down with her shortness of breath, like a pair of fire-red balls.

    Chapter 58 If I Don¡¯t Go to Hell, Then Who Will? Part 2

    In the middle were tiny pink pearls as beautiful and seductive as the blossoming of flowers. Her slender and soft waist was like willow branches in March that brought about thousands of amorous feelings. Even her small lotus feet were silently enchanting and issuing a seductive invitation.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes became dark and deep. His mouth was dry, he had shortness of breath, and blood was boiling all over his body, rushing towards that lower part of his body...

    Mu YingRui was not some unworldly ¡°little tender chick.¡± He was well versed in the pleasures of the flesh and had experienced almost everything. To yield to a little woman like Shui YouLian was too easy.

    He naturally held Shui YouLian¡¯s soft hand and gently asked, ¡°How are you? How can you breathe like this? What can I do to ease your pain?¡±

    Shui YouLian was originally from an official¡¯s family. But she had been in Chuyao Guan for a period of time. What thoughts a man had, of course, she could tell with a nce. But she also knew how to grasp the timing.

    She immediately shyly and timidly withdrew her small hand. Gasping and panting, she said, ¡°Nubi...nubi has...medicine. Trouble Laoye...to have someone...fetch it...¡±

    Zi You came in with a small porcin bottle. She poured out a pill and put it in Shui YouLian¡¯s mouth.

    With a face full of sympathy, she said to Mu YingRui, ¡°YouLian has asthma and cannot be subjected to cold wind or have contact with pollen. But she heard that daughter was rehearsing singing, and dancing as Mid-Autumn Festival gifts for the elders. I needed three people and since the other girls did not dance, she insisted on participating. I advised her not to participate because the evening was windy and it was taking ce in the garden, but she did not listen. She said she had no rtives. My rtives were her rtives. She had nothing else to give. A dance that would bring joy to the elders was something she was supposed to do.¡±

 Chapter 59 Uncle Goat Turns into a Huge Lecherous Wolf [1], Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 59 Uncle Goat Turns into a Huge Lecherous Wolf [1], Part 2</h4>

    Shui YouLian nimbly dodged. She fearfully said, ¡°YouLian is the daughter of a criminal. YouLian is not worthy to be treated by you like this.¡±

    Mu YingRui withdrew his hand. His peach blossom eyes stared vigorously at Shui YouLian. He feigned rebuke, ¡°Shui guniang [girl, miss] had at least been an official¡¯s xiaojie. How can we let her be a maidservant?¡±

    Zi You deliberately frowned and said embarrassedly, ¡°But daughter couldn¡¯t let her be a doctor even more. The front line is so dangerous. If she has an asthma attack again, wouldn¡¯t that be taking her life? Did daughter save her life to take it back then?¡±

    She looked at Mu YingRui¡¯s anxious and ufortable face. Then she tentatively and cautiously said, ¡°Daddy, daughter begs to you take YouLian as...¡±

    ¡°Laoye, YouLian is willing to be Laoye¡¯s maidservant. As long as Laoye keeps YouLian by his side as a ve or a servant, YouLian is willing.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Mu YingRui looked at YouLian. His heart was exceedingly happy. He feignedpassion for YouLian and made a disturbed expression. ¡°Fine. You be a maidservant first. I will tell furen when I get an opportunity to and raise you to yinaing status. You will be wronged for a while. Don¡¯t be too upset, okay? Laoye will treat you very well.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, Fifth Yiniang!¡± Zi You quickly rejoiced. Then she looked worriedly at Mu YingRui, ¡°Father, mother won¡¯t be mad at daughter right? What if she thinks that you taking YouLian as Fifth Yiniang was daughter¡¯s idea and gets angry at daughter? Daddy, mother cares about you very much. She doesn¡¯t want you to have too many yiniangs.¡±

    Mu YingRui seemed reluctant to let YouLian know that someone like Wang Yiping existed. He started to speak, but saw YouLian kneel again. Like pear blossoms in the rain, she said, ¡°Laoye and Xiaojie carry a life-saving grace for YouLian. How can YouLian make things difficult for Xiaojie and Laoye for her own selfish desires?¡±

 Chapter 60 Uncle Goat Turns into a Huge Lecherous Wolf [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 60 Uncle Goat Turns into a Huge Lecherous Wolf [2], Part 1</h4>

    Shui YouLian sobbed, ¡°Laoye, Xiaojie, if furen...furen is intolerant of YouLian, YouLian would...stay by Xiaojie¡¯s side as a female doctor. Begging Laoye and Xiaojie to...not sell YouLian!¡±

    She kowtowed. Her fragile and helpless appearance provoked more love than flowers in a storm.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s masculine desire to protect surged. He helped YouLian up and said loudly and firmly, ¡°What? Laoye needs to be afraid of a woman if he gets a yiniang? What a joke. Lian¡¯er, from now on, you are this Ye¡¯s Fifth Yiniang. Don¡¯t be afraid, Ye will protect you and not you be bullied by anyone. You¡¯er can also rest assured. If mother mes you, tell daddy. Daddy would give you justice.¡±

    ¡°Laoye!¡± Shui YouLian ran into Mu YingRui¡¯s arms, touched. She cried until her whole body was shaking, like falling leaves in the cold wind.

    His daughter was still there. Mu YingRui¡¯s old face turned red. He was about to push YouLian away but saw that Zi You was gone.

    Since his daughter wasn¡¯t there, Mu YingRui gathered the soft and fragrant beauty in his arms. How could he not be dazed? The middle-aged Uncle Goat turned into a huge lecherous wolf. He¡¯s about to swallow the little beauty in arms into his stomach.

    In ordance with Zi You¡¯s requirements, YouLian hooked Mu YingRui. She originally thought she would have to spend a lot of effort, but didn¡¯t think that Mu YingRui was a lecherous glutton. Without too much work, she caught him.

    The methods she learned in Chuyao Guan to handle men was not learned in vain.

 Chapter 61 Poisonous Woman Betrays Herself [1], Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 61 Poisonous Woman Betrays Herself [1], Part 2</h4>

    For the first time, Mu YingRui felt a bit of fatherly awareness towards Zi You. He thought of his wife Wang Yiping¡¯s personality and the possibility that Zi You would receive Wang Yiping¡¯s censure. Mu YingRui hurriedly kissed Shui YouLian¡¯s lips. ¡°Okay, I will listen to you. Take rest darling. I¡¯ll go see Zi You ande backter.¡±

    He took big steps and hurried towards Wang Yiping¡¯s YipingJu.

    At this time, Wang Yiping was indeed showing off her might and power to Zi You. Actually, Zi You walked into her living space and saw the ground full of broken porcin. She asked, ¡°Mother, what happened here?¡±

    Wang Yiping pointed at her and shouted, ¡°Kneel down!¡±

    You finally couldn¡¯t act anymore?! Zi You secretly and coldly smiled. Instead of immediately kneeling, she put on an ignorant face. She asked, frightened, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m You¡¯er. Why are you so angry?¡±

    Wang Yiping was angry enough to go crazy. She felt her temples throbbing with pain. The angry air under her ribs kept dispersing, making her nauseous.

    She seriously wondered if everything that happened tonight was Mu Zi You¡¯s deliberate doing. Why else would that vixen perform and be gifted to Mu YingRui? And she even coincidentally fainted?

    Mu YingRui, that lecher! One vixen was enough to make you lose your senses. Did you forget your promise to me? Did you forget our pledge of eternal love?

    The more she thought, the more Wang Yiping was angry and the more she hated Zi You, Old General Mu, and everything about Mu fu [residence]. But of course, she hated that heartless rat Mu YingRui the most.

    Therefore, she smashed to pieces all the precious chinaware that Mu YingRui bought her.

 Chapter 62 Poisonous Woman Betrays Herself [2], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 62 Poisonous Woman Betrays Herself [2], Part 1</h4>

    Wang Yiping did not have time to clean up before Zi You came in. Because she was angry, she didn¡¯t bother to disguise herself and betrayed her ¡°extraordinary¡± self.

    This was the first time Zi You saw Wang Yiping¡¯s sinister and terrible face, like a madwoman. When she was asked as a concubine to visit Zi You¡¯s mother Dier or that day at Duke Yingguo fu, Wang Yiping was very angry. But she was not as angry as she was now: almost crazy.

    ¡°So vicious-minded at such a young age. Even buying a geisha to seduce her own father. You know your father has no strength to resist and you did such a thing. You did it on purpose right? You hate me. From the moment I entered the General¡¯s Manor, you all hate me. Why? How did I wrong you? You vicious little bastard! For you, I kowtowed every step to the temple. My forehead was torn and you still don¡¯t trust me. You¡¯re really just like your cheap vixen mother: both monsters!¡± Wang Yiping was consumed with hatred so she couldn¡¯t help but scold.

    Zi You was going to ignore her, but when her biological mother was insulted, she finally got angry.

    A pair of beautiful eyes instantly darkened and became a deep purple color. Her knife-sharp words stabbed Wang Yiping: ¡°How dare you insult my mother? In front of her, you¡¯re just a concubine. You¡¯re the cheap one! My mother is a descendant of a goddess. Her identity is much nobler than yours. What kind of thing are you? Your mother is just an actress and you¡¯re just like her: both cheap and lowly. You insult my mother again and I won¡¯t spare you. Huh! Vixen? You¡¯re the vixen who harms people!¡±

    ¡°You dare to scold me?¡± Wang Yiping never thought that Zi You would dare to scold her. Her body trembled in anger and she stood stunned.

    She was a little slow to react but didn¡¯t think twice about it and raised a hand to p Zi You¡¯s face.

    Chapter 62 Poisonous Woman Betrays Hereself [2], Part 2

    With Zi You¡¯s martial arts, she could have dodged this p. But at this time, she heard Mu YingRui¡¯s footsteps.

    Since she learned martial arts, her ears were sharp and eyes were keen. Her sight and hearing were excellent. She could clearly hear a little bit of grass or wind blowing.

    Wang Yiping was angry so she naturally did not hear that Mu YingRui was quickly arriving at the door.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes turned. She did not hide and went forwards to meet the p. She suddenly fell on top of the ground full of broken porcin.

    The broken porcin pierced into her arm. Zi You cried out in pain and then yelled out in panic, ¡°Mother, you have misunderstood father!¡±

    At this time, Mu YingRui happened to enter the room. He saw Wang Yiping p his daughter and shouted like a shrew, ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t mention your shameless and obscene father. Your Mu family doesn¡¯t have a good person. You should all go to hell!¡± Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t believe his gaze and widened his peach blossom eyes.

    Wang Yiping had always appeared elegant and kind in front of Mu YingRui. Even when she suggested drugging Zi You that time, she was crying like pear blossoms in the rain. She spoke delicately and coquettishly to Mu YingRui, ¡°Once Laoye leaves, how could Ping¡¯er [referring to herself] live her days? People thinking of others would die. Laoye, You¡¯er doesn¡¯t like me. If Lao TaiYe doesn¡¯t let Ping¡¯er follow Laoye, what would Ping¡¯er do? Laoye, if You¡¯er says something in front of Lao Taiye, Ping¡¯er could apany by Laoye¡¯s side. Laoye is willing to leave Ping¡¯er and won¡¯t miss Ping¡¯er?¡±

 Chapter 63 Poisonous Woman is Beaten, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 63 Poisonous Woman is Beaten, Part 1</h4>

    Mu YingRui was distracted by her tears and delicate, frail appearance. So he agreed to Wang Yiping drugging Zi You, but only if the drug was harmless.

    Wang Yiping bribed her mother¡¯s lover, Imperial Doctor Qin, and promised Mu YingRui.

    The stupid Mu YingRui did not know that Wang Yiping would bring harm to his daughter. Medicines were 30% poisonous. How could there be a non-harmful drug?

    So that gentle,dylike, sweet and charming little wife was such a poisonous and vicious shrew!

    She not only pped his daughter¡¯s face and caused her to fall on the ground of broken porcin and be injured; she even cursed him and his family. If this could be tolerated, then what could not? Enough was enough.

    Mu YingRui did not like his father controlling him. But his father was still his father. They were rted by blood. How could it be permissible for someone to curse him?

    Mu YingRui went over to the still-scolding Wang Yiping and kicked her. Then he helped the Zi You up from the ground. His face immediately changed.

    Zi You fell sideways onto the ground. Her left arm had been pierced by the broken porcin and blood was flowing.

    It was over! If his father found out, not only would Wang Yiping be punished, but he would also be beaten. Mu YingRui thought of that terrifying military rod and anger gushed forwards. He rushed over and pped Wang Yiping five or six times. He scolded, ¡°You poisonous woman! You never stop, always trying to find trouble. What day is it today? It¡¯s the Mid-Autumn Festival! You hurt You¡¯er like this! You really don¡¯t want the whole manor to have a good day right?¡±

    Chapter 63 Poisonous Woman is Beaten, Part 2

    Wang Yiping was not an ordinary person. Once she saw Mu YingRui, she already began to regret her impulsiveness. Now that she was scolded and pped by him, she sobered even more.

    Simply put, she was lowly person who bullied the weak and was afraid of the strong. She had to be beaten toe to her senses.

    Wang Yiping relied on nothing more than Mu YingRui¡¯s love and doting. If she lost this man¡¯s love, she couldn¡¯t move a step in the General¡¯s Manor.

    Great Yan valued martial skills over civil skills. Even the Emperor gave Old General Mu face. As for civil officials, even if you were a first-rank prime minister, you could notpare to a first-rank general¡¯s resoluteness. Martial officials held more power than civil officials.

    Duke Yingguo only had a title with no real power. Compared to the military power in Old General Mu¡¯s hands, it was likeparing clouds to mud.

    Besides, Wang Yiping was Duke Yingguo fu¡¯s Shu daughter. Duke Yingguo furen always disliked her. Even if she returned to her maiden family toin, her family couldn¡¯t run to the General¡¯s Manor to seek justice.

    In addition, she was the unreasonable one in tonight¡¯s events. Even if she went to the Emperor¡¯s throne room, she couldn¡¯t state an excuse.

    After all, Zi You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She simply performed an exotic dance for her elders with a maidservant. As for Mu YingRui liking Shui YouLian, it had nothing to do with Zi You. Could the daughter control her father¡¯s mind and prevent him from liking or disliking someone?

    Wang Yiping was just jealous and angry and lost her senses. Now she was pped sober by Mu YingRui. She immediately feigned being pitiful and delicate. She hugged Mu YingRui¡¯s arm and cried, grief-stricken, ¡°Laoye, Bieqie won¡¯t... won¡¯t... Bieqie wasn¡¯t... wasn¡¯t... deliberate. Bieqie thought Laoye... Laoye didn¡¯t want Bieqie anymore. Bieqie was momentarily fearful and anxious and lost... lost her senses.¡±

 Chapter 64 Poisonous Woman Disguises Herself, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 64 Poisonous Woman Disguises Herself, Part 1</h4>

    Wang Yiping was really a character. She was flexible and could bow and submit or stand tall. She immediately rushed towards Zi You and knelt down. ¡°Bieqie... Bieqie doesn¡¯t know what she did... wuu [crying sounds]... Laoye... Ping¡¯er is wrong... Ping¡¯er will... will kneel to You¡¯er and beg You¡¯er for forgiveness.¡±

    Sure enough, Mu YingRui was a little less angry seeing her kneel to his daughter.

    He was about to speak, but Zi You was convulsed with fear and ran to hide behind him.

    While hiding, she clutched her bleeding arm and cried, ¡°No, mother, You¡¯er won¡¯t do it again. Please don¡¯t scold mother, father, and grandfather. You¡¯er... You¡¯er... wuu ...would show filial respect to you.¡±

    Kneeling for forgiveness? I was hurt like this by you. If you didn¡¯t learn a lesson, if Mu YingRui didn¡¯t stay far away from you from now on, I would have wasted all this blood, the p you¡¯ve given me, and this y I¡¯ve acted in.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s anger that was extinguished was lit again by Zi You. His eyes looking at her once again turned ruthless.

    Wang Yiping almost chipped her tooth from gritting her teeth in anger. She was more certain that Zi You deliberately took her p and deliberately fell to the ground to let Mu YingRui see.

    But she could not exin. She indeed scolded and indeed pped her. And all of this was seen by Mu YingRui.

    Wang Yiping returned to being angry again. But her rationality also returned. Her brain was more awake than earlier. She knew if this matter was not hidden, once Old General Mu discovered the truth, she would be punished and face being abandoned.

    Chapter 64 Poisonous Woman Disguises Herself, Part 2

    Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t bother with being jealous anymore. She grabbed onto Mu YingRui¡¯s thigh and cried with tears and snot flying. She didn¡¯t care about her image anymore. ¡°Laoye, I beg you. I beg you to persuade You¡¯er to not let Lao TaiYe know about this matter. Bieqie doesn¡¯t want to be abandoned! Wuu... Bieqie didn¡¯t want to hit You¡¯er. She talked back and scolded Bieqie so Bieqie got angry. Laoye, really, Bieqie really didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    Seeing Wang Yiping crying like this, Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. He calmed down and pondered a bit. He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

    His wife was correct. Once his father knew about this, whether his wife was right or wrong, his father would not tolerate it. You¡¯er was father¡¯s precious treasure. Even his brother¡¯s children could not add up to the weight that she had in his father¡¯s heart.

    Since Ping¡¯er married him, although she had some wrongs, their feelings were pretty good. Even if he didn¡¯t listen to her and tried to only please himself, he was still pretty satisfied with this loveable and charming little wife.

    Mu YingRui immediately pulled Zi You. He said with a 10% coaxing, 70% threatening, and 20% pleading tone, ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t cry. Your mother is wrong. I will let her apologize to you. But you were also wrong. How can you, as a daughter, scold your mother? When this gets out, who will marry you? Don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s take care of this wound. Don¡¯t let your grandfather know or he would get angry. What would YouLian do if your grandfather gets angry? Huh?¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s words were like a basin of ice water poured over Zi You. Zi You felt ice-cold inside and out.

 Chapter 65 Cold-Blooded, Selfish, Slag Father, Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 65 Cold-Blooded, Selfish, g Father, Part 1</h4>

    This was her own biological father. He had not said one word of concern since she was injured. He only thought about his wife and concubines and how to keep himself from being punished by grandfather.

    He really was cold-blooded and selfish to the extreme! No wonder mother did not love him, grandfather did not like him, and uncle did not get close to him.

    Zi You looked at the blood flowing on her arm. She had not replied to Mu YingRui because she was too angry. The door banged open and Old General Mu and Mu YingYi and his wife rushed inside.

    Old General Mu kicked Mu YingRui who was standing in front of Zi You aside. He grabbed Zi You¡¯s arm to take a look. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air, distressed. The temperature in the room dropped to negative degrees. He loudly shouted, ¡°Someone! Take my name card and invite an Imperial Doctor over. N¨¦e Liu, quickly bring medicine over and help You¡¯er stop the blood.¡±

    He picked up Zi You and told Mu YingRui, ¡°After I treat You¡¯er¡¯s wounds, I¡¯ll deal with you two animals!¡±

    He rushed out and flew towards his courtyard.

    N¨¦e Liu fiercely red at Wang Yiping and also hurried out.

    Mu YingYi was filled with grief and resentfully said to Mu YingRui, ¡°Brother, You¡¯er is your biological daughter. Even a malicious tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its own cub. You really have no humanity? How can you bear to hurt her? You¡¯er is the only thing sister-inw had left behind!¡±

    He was angered to death. Because Zi You wanted to see the burning tower and guess riddles, Old General Mu had them prepare while Zi You went to see the Shui YouLian who fainted. They were going to set out when Zi You returned.

    Chapter 65 Cold-Blooded, Selfish, g Father, Part 2

    Who knew that as they were getting ready, ShiYun ran over and cried anxiously and in panic, ¡°Lao TaiYe, Second Laoye, hurry to save Xiaojie. Because Laoye saved Shui guniang, furen is beating and scolding Xiaojie.¡±

    He, his father, and his wife ran over and actually saw such a scene. You¡¯er¡¯s arm was hurt to this extent, but his brother acted like he didn¡¯t see it. He even med and threatened You¡¯er. He really was inhumane!

    Mu YingYi remembered what Dier said when she was forcibly taken away by her grandmother and his eyes reddened.

    ¡°Young General, Dier can no longer keep watch over you and You¡¯er. Dier begs Young General for one thing. Protect You¡¯er for me. Don¡¯t let her get hurt. Her father... was a mistake. I really regretted marrying him. How nice would it be if You¡¯er was Young General¡¯s child!¡±

    Yes, how nice would it be if You¡¯er was his daughter! He would protect her like a precious treasure. He wouldn¡¯t let this pitiful and sensible child be bullied by her stepmother and inhumane father.

    Mu YingYi was always polite and respectful to Wang Yiping. Even after he found out Zi You¡¯s illnessst time was because she drugged her, he didn¡¯t say anything to her face. She was the older sister-inw. He was the younger brother-inw and a man. It was embarrassing to sh with her in person. But tonight, everything had touched his bottom line. He could no longer endure.

    Mu YingYi looked at Wang Yiping with his gaze like a torch. He wanted to burn her and make her feel a fear that she never had before.

    ¡°Sister-inw, I respect you as a sister-inw. But I cannot let you bully You¡¯er. I hope you act more like an elder. Next time I see you bully You¡¯er, don¡¯t me me for breaking my principle to not hit women!¡±

    He fiercely struck a chair and it fell apart and broke into pieces.

 Chapter 66 Zi You is Injured, Loved Ones Are Distressed [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 66 Zi You is Injured, Loved Ones Are Distressed [1], Part 1</h4>

    Wang Yiping gasped in fright. Her face turned white and sinister. Under the moonlight, it was as creepy as a ghost!

    Being scolded by his father and brother had Mu YingRui¡¯s anger rising. He ferociously kicked her and scolded, ¡°You poisonous woman, not one day is peaceful! This Ye really regrets marrying such a troublemaker!¡±

    He was still angry and kicked her again. ¡°Ye did not intend to ept Lian¡¯er so early. Since you are so concerned, Ye would deliberately ignore your wishes and take her as my concubine. We¡¯ll have the bridal night tonight and anger you poisonous woman to death!¡±

    He ignored Wang Yiping¡¯s anguished wailings and walked away. His back looked decisive.

    Wang Yiping copsed in front of the bed. She stared at Mu YingRui¡¯s back. Her lips were bitten raw, her fingernails were broken, and her chest filled with monstrous hatred. Her organs were painful enough to shift positions.

    Lecher! So those days of loving affection and tender affection were fake! So he was such a fickle man!

    Good, good, good. You¡¯re heartless, so don¡¯t me me for being unjust. You act first so I retaliate. I would not wrong myself for such a fickle man.

    What kind of man couldn¡¯t I get with my looks and skills? I don¡¯t have to hang myself on your tree. If I don¡¯t give you eighteen cuckolded hats to wear, then I would be letting you down.

    Wang Yiping stood up and wiped off her tears. The smile on her face was strange and eerie, giving people goose bumps.

    Chapter 66 Zi You is Injured, Loved Ones Are Distressed [1], Part 2

    In his courtyard, Old General Mu was clutching Zi You¡¯s bloody and red arm, distressed until his eyes reddened.

    Zi You¡¯s skin was very white and tender, like white jade. Because she wore a sari, she was d only in a thinyer of silk. No one knew if Zi You¡¯s wound had porcin pieces in it.

    Faced with Zi You¡¯s bloody gash, N¨¦e Liu¡¯s heart ached with grief. She had tears on her face but was helpless. She didn¡¯t know how to cope.

    Old General Mu yelled, ¡°Go urge the Imperial Doctor to hurry! Where is YingYi? Tell him to meet the Imperial Doctor personally.¡±

    The General¡¯s Manor¡¯s Butler, Mu Zhong, quickly replied, ¡°Second Ye personally went. He has been gone for a while now.¡±

    Zi You saw her grandfather, uncle, and aunt so anxious and was a bit regretful. Her trick of injuring herself seeded, but was it not a bit cruel to let her loved ones be so distressed and panicked over her?

    ¡°Grandather, Aunt, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯er can¡¯t rest easy seeing you like this. I¡¯m fine. The wound doesn¡¯t hurt. Tofort her loved ones, Zi You endured the pain to reveal a smile as beautiful and refined as Epiphyllum.

    Old General Mu felt even more tenderness towards his granddaughter. She was always so sensible and well-behaved. Like her mother, they both thought of others and bore grievances and pain alone.

    If Dier was a little more selfish back then, Mu YingYi likely would have married her and not N¨¦e Liu.

    After all, Dier save Mu YingYi¡¯s life. They fought sided by side asrades-in-arms suppressing the rebellion in Nanjiang. Who couldpare to that?

    With her illustrious achievements, asking the Emperor to bestow a marriage and push N¨¦e Liu¡¯s marriage aside was not difficult.

    However, after learning that Mu YingYi was engaged to N¨¦e Liu, a withdrawal from the marriage would have affected N¨¦e Liu too badly. Without the slightest hesitation, Dier chose to marry Mu YingRui instead.

 Chapter 67 Zi You is Injured, Loved Ones Are Distressed [2], Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 67 Zi You is Injured, Loved Ones Are Distressed [2], Part 2</h4>

    He must be very careful treating her wounds in order to not leave a scar. Or it would be a sin to destroy such a work of art.

    Besides, who were the two generals? They were the great pirs holding up Great Yan. Were they people he could provoke? Even the Emperor had to give the Old General some face. What did Imperial Doctor Shi count as?

    Imperial Doctor Shi felt nervous like he never had before. After treating Zi You¡¯s wounded, he had already sweated through his clothes.

    Wiping off the sweat on his forehead, the old Imperial Doctor said with a dry mouth, ¡°Xiaojie¡¯s injury is not light. The broken porcin has been extracted but the wounds, although not deep, are in the elbow. It is not convenient. Therefore, Xiaojie cannot do any work and try not to move the arm. Also, pay attention to not getting it wet and aggravating the injury.¡±

    Old General Mu anxiously and hurriedly asked, ¡°Will it leave a scar? Do we need medicine?¡±

    Imperial Doctor Shi quickly bowed and replied, ¡°I will write a prescription for the medicine. It¡¯s hard to say whether there would be a scar. The two deeper wounds would remain... Old General Mu, why don¡¯t you make a request to the Emperor? Xiyu has presented a top-quality injury medicine, ¡®Nine Flowers Snow Cream.¡¯¡± It is said to be a good medicine for scars. The Pce¡¯s nobility treat it like a treasure.¡±

    Old General Mu nodded and gestured towards a table. ¡°Imperial Doctor Shi, please write the prescription.¡±

    After the doctor left, Old General Mu softly and distressedlyforted Zi You, ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. Grandfather will go to the Pce tomorrow morning and request Nine Flowers Snow Cream from the Emperor. You will not have a scar.¡±

 Chapter 68 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [1], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 68 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [1], Part 1</h4>

    Zi You smiledfortingly at her grandfather. She shook her head and said sweetly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather. You¡¯er can actually cure this little injury and won¡¯t leave a scar. Don¡¯t go see the Emperor. If granddaughter doesn¡¯t even have this bit of skill, how could she hope to qualify to be a female doctor for the army? Grandfather, You¡¯er asked for a doctor because she wanted father to see that woman¡¯s true face and no longer be fooled by her.¡±

    N¨¦e Liu affectionately touched the fingerprint marks on Zi You¡¯s face. She angrily asked, ¡°That vicious woman! Why would she hit you?¡±

    Zi You feigned she was in difficulties and shook her head. ¡°I also don¡¯t know. Father saw that Shui YouLian was pitiful so he wanted to take her as his concubine. I thought that isn¡¯t too appropriate, but YouLian agreed. So I couldn¡¯t say too much and went to exin to mother.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s tears glistened in her eyes and looked pitiful. ¡°But when I got there, before I could even speak, I saw the floor filled with broken porcin. I asked mother what happened and she immediately ordered me to kneel...¡±

    Zi You tearfully exined the events. Old General Mu angrily smacked his hand on a table. The table broke into pieces. ¡°Poisonous woman! She can¡¯t control her husband and takes her anger out on you. Someone, call First Laoye and First Furen over. They¡¯re rebelling. This old man is still alive and they dare to bully my motherless granddaughter.¡±

    Mu YingYi said with a cold face, ¡°I will call them. Father, ask brother if he¡¯s willing to let me adopt You¡¯er. I will be You¡¯er¡¯s father. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. We¡¯re still here and they dare to treat You¡¯er like this. If one day, we¡¯re not here, You¡¯er...¡±

 Chapter 69 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [2], Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 69 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [2], Part 2</h4>

    Old General Mu got angry again and kicked Mu YingRui hard. He turned to Wang Yiping and red at her. His gaze that was like a torch made Wang Yiping unable to hide.

    She was scared into lowering her head again. Her whole body shivered and leaned towards Mu YingYui, pretending to be weak and helpless.

    Old General Mu looked at her with contempt and shook his head. He sighed, ¡°Your yiniang¡¯s birth is not good. I originally did not agree to this marriage. But YingRui had to marry you regardless so I reluctantly agreed. But it seems like I was wrong. You married for so long and if YingRui is around, you don¡¯t know your ce. I¡¯m warning you. I know everything you do. Don¡¯t hold any more wishful thinking. If you dare to hurt You¡¯er again, I will ask for a decree to divorce you! I do what I say. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it.¡±

    When he finished, Wang Yiping was so scared that her clothes were soaked through with sweat.

    It seemed like this old thing knew she secretly calcted and harmed Mu Zi You. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t dissuade her.

    It seemed like she needed to be more careful. Because this old thing had the trust of the Emperor, if he really asked the Emperor for a divorce, the rest of her life would be ruined.

    Wang Yiping crawled on the ground and cried heartbreakingly. ¡°Father, daughter-inw won¡¯t... won¡¯t do it again! Daughter-inw was... was muddleheaded tonight! That¡¯s why such a thing... such a muddleheaded thing happened. Although You¡¯er talked... talked back and scolded daughter-inw, she¡¯s still young. Daughter-inw really shouldn¡¯t... shouldn¡¯t lower herself to her level. Daughter-inw was wrong, father... Daughter-inw would... would never hit You¡¯er again...¡±

 Chapter 70 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [3], Part 1

    <h4>Chapter 70 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [3], Part 1</h4>

    She wanted to tell Old General Mu that she beat Zi You because Zi You scolded her. She wanted to embarrass Old General Mu so Mu YingRui could argue for himself.

    However, from the moment Mu YingRui heard ¡°familyws,¡± he was already so scared that he couldn¡¯t take her into consideration. Instead, he had his heart set on pushing her out to protect himself from suffering physical pain.

    And Old General Mu had already seen through her intentions. He couldn¡¯t help but coldly sneer. ¡°You¡¯er just scolded you. The fact that she didn¡¯t tell me about your evil words and deeds has already given you face. Is You¡¯er¡¯s biological mother someone you can nder? As a second wife and a concubine, you have the logic to insult my granddaughter¡¯s biological mother? N¨¦e Wang, I¡¯m going to ask your father how he taught you. What is the punishment for insulting your husband, his Di wife, father, daughter, and the whole family?¡±

    Mu YingRui knew his father was really angry this time. If his wife¡¯s Di mother found out about this matter, the upper-ss society would know Wang Yiping¡¯s character.

    Wang Yiping being scolded was a small matter, but his official name and reputation being affected was a big matter. Whatmoners¡¯ official could not control his woman and let her insult his family?

    In order to quell Old General Mu¡¯s anger, Mu YingRui immediately grabbed Wang Yiping¡¯s hair and pped her more than a dozen times. ¡°You cheap person! This Ye spoiled you rotten! Is Ye¡¯s deceased wife and daughter people you can scold? Is Ye¡¯s family people you can curse? Ye wants to divorce you, divorce you...¡±

    It should be said that Mu YingRui understood his father very well. He knew if he was willing to punish Wang Yiping, his father would let the both of them go.

    Indeed, when Old General Mu saw his son punish and beat the second wife, his facial expression turned better and not as dark as before.

 Chapter 70 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [3], Part 2

    <h4>Chapter 70 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Poisonous Son and Daughter-In-Law [3], Part 2</h4>

    Although his tone was still severe, at least he took Mu YingRui into consideration. ¡°You think I don¡¯t want you to divorce her? If I wasn¡¯t afraid of that ruining your career... You bastard! Why do I have such a trouble-making son?¡±

    Old General Mu said to the Mu Zhong standing on the side, ¡°Mu Zhong, initiate the familyws. Take First Furen to the ancestral hall and have her kneel in repentance to the deceased First Furen. She cannot have food, drink, or visitors for three days. She¡¯s forbidden from leaving the Manor for two months. Withhold her monthly allowance for two months. Take First Laoye and hit him ten times with the board. You personally administer it.¡±

    Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui were stunned. They cried out.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s loud voice directly drowned out Wang Yiping¡¯s cries for mercy. ¡°Father, father, son no longer dares. Don¡¯t hit son. Son is still injured. How can son report to work?¡±

    Old General Mu saw his son¡¯sck of a backbone and was more disappointed. He himself was a strong and determined man who didn¡¯t even blink facing death. His youngest son was like that too. One person surrounded by more than one hundred enemies could be calm like a mountain. But this eldest son was afraid of just ten hits?

    He had no backbone whatsoever. Who knew who he took after? Anyway, he didn¡¯t seem like his own son.

    It seemed like while he was fighting wars outside, his wife spoiled their first son. Old General Mu continuously shook his head while walking out of the study.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s ten hits with the board were not spared. Wang Yiping was dragged into the dark ancestral hall and knelt in front of Dier¡¯s memorial tablet.

    Of course, both hated the other in their hearts!

    Mu YingRui hated Wang Yiping for many things. If not because of her, he wouldn¡¯t yed by his father.

 Chapter 71.1 The Yiniangs Visit Laoye

    <h4>Chapter 71.1 The Yiniangs Visit Laoye</h4>

    Although the boards were not as heavy as the military rods, but every hit was burningly painful!

    Damn that woman! Why was Ye so unlucky to marry such a jinx?! Mu YingRui shouted and inwardly cursed.

    Wang Yiping hated her husband¡¯s selfishness. He did not support her at the crucial moment. Kneeling in front of dead people¡¯s memorial tablets, in the pitch-dark ancestral hall, without food or water: wasn¡¯t this a living hell? And this was also a very shameful thing. If it was spread out, she didn¡¯t need to live anymore!

    First, the servants of the General¡¯s Manor would look down on her. And who knew how her sisters at Duke Yingguo fu wouldugh at her. That mean Di mother would also make cutting remarks to her yiniang again.

    Wang Yiping seemed to have seen her maiden familyughing at her and the Manor¡¯s servants treating her with contempt. Kneeling in the ancestral hall, she was angry until her body trembled and her hands and feet were ice-cold.

    Mu YingRui suffered ten hits and his buttocks were in pain again.

    As he was being carried back, he said ill-tempered to the servants carrying him to Wang Yiping¡¯s courtyard, ¡°Send Ye to the study.¡±

    Mu YingRui entered the study andy on the bed. He didn¡¯t even take a deep breath yet when his three yiniangs and tongfang yatou came in.

    Their words were about the same. ¡°You suffered, Laoye. What is this about? You¡¯re been hit right after the festival?¡±

    If they didn¡¯t ask, it was fine. But once asked, it was like adding oil to a fire. Mu YingRui¡¯s hatred towards Wang Yiping grew!

    He couldn¡¯t help but y the nice guy. ¡°This is all thanks to furen. After the festival, she wanted to hit Xiaojie.¡±

 Chapter 71.2 The Yiniangs Visit Laoye

    <h4>Chapter 71.2 The Yiniangs Visit Laoye</h4>

    ¡°What? Furen went overboard! Xiaojie is deceased furen¡¯s only blood left and Laoye¡¯s only Di daughter. Even if she was wrong, she shouldn¡¯t be hit?¡± Second Yiniang deliberately eximed loudly.

    The other women started to immediately lively discuss. Of course, no one denounced Wang Yiping directly.

    Fourth Yiniang hid her small, cherry-red lips and sighed. ¡°Ah... furen is too impatient. She¡¯s not pregnant with Laoye¡¯s child yet, but she¡¯s already nning for her future. Actually, she doesn¡¯t need to be like this. Xiaojie is not male. Who can take away her oldest Di son¡¯s title when she gives birth? If she has a girl, what would be the point if it¡¯s not the oldest Di daughter? Wouldn¡¯t the child still be Laoye¡¯s child? It would be strange if Lao TaiYe is not angry when she treated Xiaojie like that.¡±

    Third Yiniang was from the north. She spoke a pleasant-sounding Wu dialect in a delicate and childish voice. But her words were like a soft knife: devious. ¡°Fourth Yiniang, you don¡¯t know this. Someone is a first, legal furen. But once she sees Xiaojie, the word ¡°first¡± is thrown. How can her heart be happy?¡±

    Mu YingRui had not thought too much. But once reminded by his yiniangs, he understood why Wang Yiping treated Zi You like that.

    Ah! So your so-called love for me was for your ns?

    This way, Mu YingRui¡¯s original impression of Wang Yiping being virtuous and kindhearted was shattered.

    But things were not over yet. Mu YingRui pained until he was covered in a cold sweat. With great difficulty, he dazedly fell asleep. But he heard someone crying by his bedside. He opened his eyes and saw Shui YouLian in the moonlight.

    The little guniang was silently crying. She was more delicate and beautiful than pear blossoms in the rain, provoking people to have tender affection.

 Chapter 72.1 Attending a Banquet at Duke Yongnan Fu

    <h4>Chapter 72.1 Attending a Banquet at Duke Yongnan Fu</h4>

    Mu YingRui felt a feather gently sweeping his heart. After a tingling, his body went soft. Even the pain of being beaten was relieved by a lot.

    What was that saying? ¡°To die under a peony blossom, even being a ghost would be romantic.¡± It was very befitting of Mu YingRui.

    Seeing this little beauty being so sad over him, he didn¡¯t care about his pain anymore. He extended a finger and lifted up Shui YouLian¡¯s delicate chin. His voice was low and soft, ¡°Are these tears for Ye?¡±

    Shui YouLian¡¯s watery eyes were bashful and timid. With light worry, heartache, and a Lin DaiYu-style gaze, she stared affectionately at Mu YingRui. With glistening teardrops and faint breathing, she said, ¡°It¡¯s all YouLian¡¯s fault. Why did YouLian meet Laoye? If not for YouLian, furen wouldn¡¯t have punished Xiaojie and Laoye wouldn¡¯t have been beaten by Lao TaiYe. Laoye, Lian¡¯er... Lian¡¯er¡¯s heart is in pain! Why was Laoye beaten and not Lian¡¯er? Lian¡¯er rather... rather have the ten board hits on Lian¡¯er¡¯s body and not have Laoye suffer. Wuu...¡±

    Weeping sorrowfully, she fell in front of Mu YingRui. Her whole body trembled like fallen leaves in the cold wind.

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    Mu YingRui was like a young schoolboy in love. He felt a burst of ecstasy. His heart changed to a puddle of spring water.

    Such a delicate and flower-like little woman was this sad due to worry for him. Mu YingRui¡¯s vanity was greatly satisfied.

    He drew Shui YouLian over and kissed her......

    However, Mu YingRui still knew what was good for him. The lower half of his body was seriously injured. If he didn¡¯t heal well, there would be long-term consequences.

    Mu YingRui took a few breaths and calmed down. He gently scraped her pretty, little nose with his fingers. He lowlyughed. ¡°You little alluring demon! You almost hooked Ye¡¯s soul out. If Ye wasn¡¯t injured, really want to... Wait for Ye recuperate and heal, then Ye will love you well.¡±

 Chapter 72.2 Attending a Banquet at Duke Yongnan Fu

    <h4>Chapter 72.2 Attending a Banquet at Duke Yongnan Fu</h4>

    Shameless bastard! There was no difference between his tone of voice and those customers of Chuyao Guan. Why were all men like this? Why weren¡¯t there any men who had Young General¡¯s uprightness and steadiness and one she could entrust her life to?

    Shui YouLian was very disappointed in her heart. Her face held a sense of loss. She pretended to be shy and turned to leave. But Mu YingRui tightly held onto her small hand. ¡°Darling is about to be Ye¡¯s beloved concubine. Why are you still shy?¡±

    At any rate, Shui YouLian had seen all kinds of men at Chuyao Guan. Of course she knew how to handle them. She tried to break free and faintly whispered, ¡°Ye is bad. You only know how to bully me.¡±

    ¡°This counts as bullying? Wait for Ye¡¯s injury to heal and see how Ye bullies you...¡± Mu YingRui words were more obscene. He pulled Shui YouLian and lecherously kissed her.

    Shui YouLian resisted and loosened the reins only to grasp them better. She came every night to have a private meeting with Mu YingRui. She enticed him until he almost lost his soul.

    The next day was August 16. Noble families began to hold feasts and banquets. The General¡¯s Manor received a pile of invitations. The first was Duke Yongnan fu.

    Because the first household couldn¡¯t attend, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi and his wife only took along Zi You.

    Zi You looked in the mirror. Her beautiful face showed an evil smile.

 Chapter 73.1 I Want My Family to Be Proud of Me

    <h4>Chapter 73.1 I Want My Family to Be Proud of Me</h4>

    Zhao HongXiang, wait for me. If I didn¡¯t make you wish you were better off dead than alive, then I, Mu Zi You, would be squandering the opportunity the heavens gave me.

    Zi You picked up her makeup brush and started to put on makeup. She had on pale silver eye shadow, glossy pink lip gloss, a diamond-encrusted pink flower between her eyebrows, and long and curly eyshes.

    She braided her wavy, ck hair into arge braid decorated with strands of white, ss beads. Two strands of hair were left brushing against her cheeks. The wind blowing them added a bit of seductive charm.

    A twelve-year-old little girl was already beautiful enough to shock people. Her noble temperament, elegant makeup, cold eyes, and elegant posture made her unforgettable.

    Her every gesture inadvertently revealed an enchanting manner and charm that drew people into lingering in the dream.

    Even when Old General Mu and Mu YingYi saw this kind of Zi You, they had a ¡°our family¡¯s daughter grew up¡± kind of feeling. They smiled until their eyes curved.

    The people Duke Yongnan fu invited were all from the high, noble society. There were lots of royalty, including Wangzis [princes, usually sons of the Emperor] and Wangyes [princes, brothers of the Emperor or of bestowed title]. Everyone brought their family¡¯s gongzis and xiaojies. To put it bluntly, this opportunity was to sell their own gongzis and xiaojies in order to find a good daughter- or son-inw.

    Zi You was wearing a narrow-on-top, but wide-in-the-bottom dress. A greenish silver threaded silk cape draped over her shoulders. She seemed like a person from Great Yan, but also from India. Even hidden among a group of gorgeously-dressed woman, one could see her with a nce.

    So she immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention as soon as she alighted from the horse carriage. Someone even eximed, ¡°Heavens! Who is this? Why haven¡¯t I seen here before? She¡¯s so beautiful!¡±

 Chapter 73.2 I Want My Family to Be Proud of Me

    <h4>Chapter 73.2 I Want My Family to Be Proud of Me</h4>

    Someone recognized that it was a horse carriage from the General¡¯s Manor and immediately whispered softly, ¡°It¡¯s the General¡¯s Manor horse carriage. Is she not Old General Mu¡¯s eldest Di granddaughter, the one who doesn¡¯t want to see others?¡±

    ¡°It seems to be. Two years ago, her facial features seemed a bit special but wasn¡¯t as beautiful. Why does it seem like she turned into a different person after a short, two years of not seeing her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. When she used to meet people, she had her head down, hunched her back, and didn¡¯t speak, just like a closed gourd. But now......¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Most people couldn¡¯t hear such low conversation. But because Zi You practiced martial arts, she had sharp ears. She naturally heard and understood everyone¡¯s words clearly.

    She could not help but secretly sneer. Before? Before, she was afraid of everyone staring at her, talking about her different, alien appearance, andughing at her mother for being a lowly Nanyi person. She was too ashamed to hold her head up.

    But now she¡¯s figured it out. Her grandfather and uncle treated her mother with so much respect. Why should she feel inferior and ashamed because her mother was of a different ethnicity because Great Yan¡¯s people?

    One day, she would have Great Yan¡¯s citizens respect her like they did grandfather and uncle. She would certainly have her family and mother be proud of her.

    Zi You straightened her back, lifted her head, thrust out her chest, slightly lowered her chin, and calmly and leisurely walked with a dignified and elegant pace to N¨¦e Liu¡¯s side.

 Chapter 74.1 Zi You Stands Out and Attracts Attention

    <h4>Chapter 74.1 Zi You Stands Out and Attracts Attention</h4>

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi¡¯s reputations were originally high. N¨¦e Liu was also a titled second-rank furen. There were already lots of people currying favor with them. With the addition of Zi You being so outstanding, those greeting and talking to N¨¦e Liu increased.

    Of course, N¨¦e Liu immediately introduced Zi You to noble furens and xiaojies.

    Zi You was courteous and thoughtful. With a quiet and dignified smile on her face, she answered everyone¡¯s questions calmly, in a neither servile nor overbearing tone.

    She originally had a sweet voice. Now that she was speaking, she attracted even more attention. For a time, several furens inquired from N¨¦e Liu whether Zi You was betrothed.

    Great Yan¡¯s Jingdu and Dongdu dialects were hard to listen to.

    Zi You¡¯s mother could speak Indian, Chinese, and other Nanjiang dialects. Zi You learned from her mother when she was young. Although she was not fluent in the dialects spoken by the Nanjiang ethnic groups, but understanding them was not a problem.

    As for Chinese and Indian, she spoke very well, like her mother. Her speech pattern was learned from her mother. Her mother told her what was the best easiest and best intonation.

    So Zi You grew up speaking Chinese and not eastern dialects.

    Zi You was so outstanding that several furens were paying attention to her. Duke Yongnan furen was anxious.

    Because after her husband went to the General¡¯s Manor as a guest, he returned full of praise for Zi You. Her son also made noise several times that he wanted to go to the General¡¯s Manor to propose marriage.

    Duke Yongnan furen was conflicted over Zi You¡¯s morous appearance. She thought the saying ¡°an ugly wife is a treasure at home¡± made a lot of sense. Marrying a wife meant marrying virtuousness. Why did he need such a beautiful wife?

 Chapter 74.2 Zi You Stands Out and Attracts Attention

    <h4>Chapter 74.2 Zi You Stands Out and Attracts Attention</h4>

    So when her son made a fuss, she once said, ¡°Marrying such a beautiful wife, are we¡¯re going to pray to her like a Bodhisattva? Being virtuous is good. Mother won¡¯t oppose no matter how beautiful your concubines look in the future.¡±

    However, her son jumped up and shouted, ¡°Son only wants You¡¯er. Son won¡¯t marry if it¡¯s not her!¡±

    Duke Yongnan also told her, ¡°A woman¡¯s insight is indeed short. Zi You is Old General Mu¡¯s most treasured granddaughter. Ignoring other things, based on Old General Mu¡¯s character and prestige, could the granddaughter he brought up not be virtuous? Besides, you want my Zhao family¡¯s Di grandson and Di granddaughter to not look outstanding? Muddleheaded!¡±

    After her husband and son said that, Duke Yongnan furen had a change of heart. She decided to have Zi You as her daughter-inw.

    However, before she had time to mention a marriage proposal, her daughter-inw was stared at by so many people. How could she not be nervous?

    Duke Yongnan furen immediately went over to separate the crowd. She grabbed Zi You¡¯s hand and pretended to smile intimately at her. She said, ¡°You¡¯er, why don¡¯t youe over to y? You and Xiang¡¯er are so familiar with each other. Or you want Aunt to send you an invitation?¡±

    These words made people think. Zi You and my son were so familiar with each other that she didn¡¯t need an invitation to visit. Just think, how good was their rtionship?

    N¨¦e Liu immediately was unhappy. She was about to speak but saw Zi You calmly and slowly withdrew her hand from Duke Yongnan furen. She smiled, ¡°Aunt, did Shizi [heir to noble title] have a fever after he fell into the water? You¡¯er doesn¡¯t know if her medicine worked. You didn¡¯t return so he must be recovered. Aunt, please tell Shizi to not y by the edge of the pond. It¡¯s very dangerous. Fortunately, You¡¯er came upon him at the General¡¯s Manor that day. Otherwise, how dangerous it would have been! Ah!¡±

 Chapter 75.1 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions

    <h4>Chapter 75.1 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions</h4>

    Zi You¡¯s words made everyone suddenly realized. Ah! So it was like this. She was not familiar with your son. She just happened to save your son¡¯s life coincidentally.

    This woman most probably fancied Zi You as a daughter-inw. Or why else would she put on a mother-inw¡¯s manner?

    But listening to the guniang¡¯s meaning, she didn¡¯t seem to want anything to do with Duke Yongnan furen¡¯s family. Her words appeared to be concerned but so polite that it made people think.

    But this Duke Yongnan furen was really too much. You not repaying the life-saving grace was one thing. But now you forced someone to marry your son? How could there be someone be socking in morality and justice?

    At the banquet today, there were two or three biological brothers and paternal male cousins of the Emperor.

    The Emperor¡¯s sixth sister-inw, An Wangfei [ legitimate consort of a Wang or Wangye (usually the Emperor¡¯s brother or cousin)], was immediately unhappy.

    Even if you wanted your son to marry a family¡¯s guniang, you shouldn¡¯t be like this right? After obtaining her consent, sending a matchmaker, and gifting betrothal gifts, then you can put on a mother-inw¡¯s manner. Or else, wouldn¡¯t it ruin the guniang¡¯s reputation?

    This An Wangfei was one of the powerful figures in the hall today.

    One was the current Emperor¡¯s Shangguan Haoyu¡¯s big brother: Ning Wang, Shangguan Mingxuan. Ning Wang¡¯s mother, Empress Song, was the previous Emperor¡¯s legitimate wife. But she passed away when Ning Wang was six years old.

    At that time, the previous Emperor was not yet Taizi [Crown Prince], but an unfavored Third Wangzi [son of the Emperor].

    Later, Third Wangzi married the current Empress Dowager: Liu Jingling, the daughter of Duke Anguo who held military power. He gradually showcased talent and was noticed by the previous Emperor with the support of the Liu family. He finally obtained the title of Taizi and inherited the whole nation.

 Chapter 75.2 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [1]

    <h4>Chapter 75.2 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [1]</h4>

    Empress Liu could be said to be a virtuous and shrewd woman.

    On the matter of naming a Taizi, she wavered. After all, First Wangzi was a Di son and the eldest.

    Other women would have certainly killed First Wangzi while her husband was in power. But N¨¦e Liu did not do so and actually treated her husband¡¯s deceased wife¡¯s son well. Even when the Emperor was discussing naming a Taizi, she prevented her family from interfering.

    Finally, the Emperor named N¨¦e Liu¡¯s eldest son as Taizi. She was afraid that First Wangzi would be upset, so she took her Taizi son and swore an oath in front of First Wangzi to never harm his big brother.

    So when Xuanwu Emperor ascended the throne, he immediately bestowed the title ¡°Ning Wang¡± to his older brother.

    Ning Wang and N¨¦e Liu had a very good rtionship. They were as close as biological mother and son.

    Actually, this Liu Empress Dowager was Zi You¡¯s Aunt N¨¦e Liu¡¯s distant cousin. N¨¦e Liu¡¯s father, Liu Ruiyuan, was a second-rank senior minister. He was the Empress Dowager¡¯s cousin¡¯s son, from a different branch of the family.

    There was another Wei Wang, the Emperor¡¯s third brother. Wei Wang¡¯s mother was the previous Emperor¡¯s favored Liang Fei.

    This Wei Wang was one of the powerful contenders of the throne then. If not for Empress Dowager Liu and her father Duke Anguo obtaining the previous emperor¡¯s trust and respect, the throne would not be the current Emperor¡¯s.

    To make a metaphor: the previous Emperor was like Li Shimin, Empress Dowager Liu was like Empress Changsun, and Liang Fei was like Li Ke¡¯s mother: Yang Fei [all historical figures and references].

    Thest to mention was the Emperor¡¯s younger brother: An Wang.

    An Wang, Shangguan Yixuan, was the previous Emperor¡¯s sixth son. He was thirty-four years old and the current Empress Dowager¡¯s most beloved son.

 Chapter 76.1 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [2]

    <h4>Chapter 76.1 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [2]</h4>

    When the previous Emperor died, if An Wang was not too young and had no foundation to sit on the throne, the Emperor would likely have been An Wang.

    Shangguan Yixuan was very talented. In addition to being handsome, he was skilled in both civil and martial areas. Other than Old General Mu, he was the second person in Great Yan who repeatedly had military merits.

    His fiefdom was in the northern part of Great Yan, Peicheng. Further north was the territory of the Xiongnus.

    If An Wang wasn¡¯t guarding the north, the Xiongnus would have crossed into Peicheng and invaded the Central ins. Therefore, the Emperor heavily relied on this younger brother. But the Emperor suppressed him, was afraid of him, and was vignt towards him. He was afraid he and An Wang would fall out one day and rebel. This was the reason the Emperor particrly relied on Old General Mu.

    The Emperor could not bepletely at ease with his biological younger brother because it was possible he could stab him a few times.

    It could be seen that being the Emperor wasn¡¯t so easy. He was scared and on edge all day, afraid of this and that. He even had a dagger under his pillow when he slept.

    An Wang, Yang Yunchang, was the third Di granddaughter of Old Prime Minister Yang, who had participated in three generations of imperial courts. She was very charming and had two dimples when she smiled.

    She looked pretty, but her words concealed daggers. If one was careless, she could stab one bloody.

    Upon entering the city, Old Prime Minister Yang repeatedly ordered her to have good rtions with Old General Mu¡¯s family. She was to pay attention to girls of appropriate ages. Shizi [heir to noble title] Shangguan LingRan was seventeen years old this year and still had not married.

    If they became inws with the Mu family, even if the Emperor wanted to touch An Wang, he would have to re-consider.

    And no matter how much he favored the Su Cefei [side consort or concubine] the Emperor bestowed on him or liked her son, Shangguan Liran, he would not openly dare to favor them. Nor would he dare to publicly take the Shizi title away from Shangguan LingRan.

 Chapter 76.2 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [2]

    <h4>Chapter 76.2 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [2]</h4>

    So, when Yang Yunchang saw Zi You, her heart was moved. She was Old General Mu¡¯s most loved granddaughter. Even without that, she was very impressed with this guniang¡¯s appearance, temperament, and grace.

    The only regret was that she was too young. She would be thirteen years old in September. There was still two years before marriageable age. Wouldn¡¯t her son have to wait two years when he was neen years old to marry his Zhengfei [legal consort]?

    Ah! Let¡¯s not worry about that first. The big matter was more important. The rest were small matters. If her son couldn¡¯t hang on, a cefei or tongfang yatou would do.

    As she was drifting off into space, someone asked Zi You about saving the person. N¨¦e Liu then repeated the story of how Zi You saved Duke Yongnan Shizi.

    Then An Wangfei pulled Zi You, took off her own jade bracelets, and put them on Zi You¡¯s hand.

    Then she looked gently at her, revealing two charming dimples, ¡°Good child. You not only know manners but are beautiful, brave, and witty. Really good! I haven¡¯t met you before. These bracelets are my meeting gift for you.¡±

    Zi You looked at the emerald-green, transparent jade without blemishes. It was the highest-quality jadeite. She immediately declined the gift, ¡°You¡¯er thanks Wangfei! This pair of bracelets is too precious and Wangfei¡¯s beloved items. You¡¯er does not dare to take Wangfei¡¯s cherished items!¡±

    An Wangfei saw that Zi You didn¡¯t look at the bracelets with an overwhelmed-by-superior¡¯s-favor expression and unconsciously nodded in praise. She said to N¨¦e Liu, ¡°It¡¯s because they are beloved items, that I¡¯m giving them to You¡¯er. Who made me like you once I saw you?¡±

    Zi You did not dare to ept even more. An Wangfei¡¯s identity was too sensitive. If Zi You did something wrong, she would bring trouble to grandfather. She once again declined.

 Chapter 77.1 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [3]

    <h4>Chapter 77.1 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [3]</h4>

    An Wangfei immediately said to N¨¦e Liu, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell your niece to ept them? They¡¯re just objects, ythings for the child.¡±

    That was true. Under everyone¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t speak of marriage, so what was the harm?

    N¨¦e Liu thought of this and told Zi You, ¡°ept them then. Besides, Wangfei has plenty of good things. You have one pair, but Wangye can buy eight or ten more pairs for her.¡±

    Everyoneughed. The atmosphere was lively.

    Some other furens came over. They asked where Zi You bought her clothes from and also gave her gifts.

    Zi You calmly replied and declined the gifts. She only epted them with N¨¦e Liu¡¯s permission.

    When they heard that Zi You¡¯s clothing were modeled after the ethnic clothing her mother left for her and personally modified, everyone marveled at Zi You¡¯s ingenuity. Then they asked if she knew medicine. They heard earlier Zi You asking Duke Yongnan furen if Shizi was better after using her medicine. Everyone wanted to know if Zi You could treat illnesses.

    Zi You modestly replied, ¡°I am currently learning. To learn all of mother¡¯s medical skills, I¡¯m afraid I still need time and experience.¡±

    At this time, Minister of Revenue furen, who was Yu LanXuan¡¯s Di mother,ughed peculiarly and ridiculed, ¡°Aiyo! Why is a noble xiaojie learning medicine? Aren¡¯t doctors part of the lowest social ss?¡±

    The atmosphere quieted down again. Many people looked at Zi You, waiting for her to be hostile or embarrassed.

 Chapter 77.2 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [3]

    <h4>Chapter 77.2 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [3]</h4>

    N¨¦e Liu was so angry that her face scrunched up. She was about to refute, but Zi You pulled her hand and scratched her palm twice.

    Zi You wasn¡¯t angry and unhurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t think learning medicine is cheap or low. Which person doesn¡¯t get sick? If all doctors despised the medical field for it being the lowest social ss, then who would treat people when they fall ill? What would the Emperor and consorts do without Imperial Doctors in the Pce? Would Furen not seek treatment when she is sick? Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t Furen be low?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Minister of Revenue furen was so angry her lips shook. She almost fainted.

    Zi You was really clever. Even lying down, she could fire off a shot. Minister of Revenue furen¡¯s love rival Sixth Yiniang was the biological older sister of Zi You¡¯s stepmother, Wang Yiping. An Wangfei¡¯s son Shangguan LingRan humiliated Minister of Revenue furen¡¯s daughter. Because of these reasons, Zi You was also unpleasing to the eye.

    When she heard Zi You was studying medicine, Minister of Revenue furen couldn¡¯t help but stab her with words. The result was that she didn¡¯t stab Zi You but was stabbed by Zi You instead.

    Minister of Revenue furen¡¯s face was turning purple from anger. Zi You feigned concern and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad, Furen. It¡¯s bad for your health. If Zi You said something wrong, Zi You is apologizing right now. You¡¯re a magnanimous adult. Please don¡¯t be bothered by Zi You.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s gaze at Minister of Revenue furen turned meaningful. A person of her age wasn¡¯t as magnanimous as a little guniang.

    An Wangfei immediatelyughed out loud. ¡°Minister of Revenue furen, how old are you? You couldn¡¯t be younger than You¡¯er? Or maybe you recovered your youthful vigor?¡±

    An Wangfei¡¯s words immediately attracted everyone¡¯sughter.

    When Zi You saw An Wangfei supporting her, she smiled brightly at her.

 Chapter 78.1 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [4]

    <h4>Chapter 78.1 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [4]</h4>

    Zi You¡¯s smile made An Wangfei couldn¡¯t help but catch her breath. Zi You¡¯s charming smile lightly graced her face and eyes beamed brightly. The eyes were misty and so deep that one couldn¡¯t see the bottom of them. They were like purple jade submerged in a hidden hot springs, like water and like ice umted over tens of thousands of years.

    Those eyes were the most beautiful An Wangfei had ever seen! Zi You didn¡¯t use her psychic powers, but An Wangfei¡¯s soul was almost hooked by her. She stared at Zi You, reluctant to even blink.

    Zi You felt An Wangfei¡¯s gaze on her. She had a calm and quiet smile on her face.

    But no one thought that while she was peacefully smiling, she was using her psychic power. She shot a stream of it towards Minister of Revenue furen¡¯s waistband.

    You want this Xiaojie to be ufortable? How can I lightly let you off? When your pants drop in public, I want to see how you could still talk.

    This Xiaojie would not be asughably na?ve as the previous lifetime. Vengeance must be avenged. It would not drag over a night.

    But this Xiaojie cannot be like her mother andmunicate with the flowers she nted and the animals she raised. Otherwise, your fu would not be peaceful and I want to see how your Yu LanXuan can harm people.

    An Wangfei did not think that this guniang who smiled as beautifully as a fairy was a little demoness. She waspletely confused by Zi You¡¯s sweet smile. Whether eating or watching a y, she must pull Zi You to sit next to her.

    Everyone saw Zi You¡¯s eyes and theirs gaze turned meaningful.

    Did An Wangfei want Zi You to be her daughter-inw? An Wangfei had only one Di son: the current An Shizi, Shangguan LingRan.

    But although this Shizi was handsome and named Great Yan¡¯s top beauty, he was a devil incarnate. Since young, he was spoiled rotten by the current Empress Dowager.

 Chapter 78.2 An Wangfeiâ€™s Intentions [4]

    <h4>Chapter 78.2 An Wangfei¡¯s Intentions [4]</h4>

    Since he was six years old, he stayed in the capital to apany the Empress Dowager. He might have been passable then. But from the time he turned thirteen through sixteen, he was cockfighting, visiting prostitutes, spending time in drinking and debauchery, acting tyrannically, and oppressing the local people. Along with Ming Wang Shizi Shangguan Weiran, Duke Yongguo Shizi Zhu Likang, and, the Emperor¡¯s favored consort Li Pin¡¯s younger brother, Wei Mingrui, they were known as the capital¡¯s ¡°Four Tyrants.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s life would be ruined if she married such a man. Most people looked at Zi You with sympathetic gazes.

    Zi You did not know An Wangfei¡¯s intentions or theplex political situation. However, facing An Wangfei¡¯s doting, the little yatou was still calm like a light breeze. She wasn¡¯t arrogant, but calm and natural, gracefully eating.

    An Wangfei saw her like this and couldn¡¯t help but like her more. She secretly pondered that only this calm and unspoiled-by-favor attitude could suit her picky son.

    Speaking of her son Shangguan LingRan, although he was a dandy, his requirements for women were particrly high.

    The Empress Dowager chose numerous officials¡¯¡¯ xiaojies for her precious grandson, but he refused them all.

    If he didn¡¯t dislike one for having small eyes, then he disliked one for her nose. If he couldn¡¯t find fault with appearances, then he disliked one¡¯s voice for sounding unpleasant. Or he would say one¡¯s name was ugly.

    This was also one of the reasons Minister of Revenue¡¯s furen was jealous of An Wangfei¡¯s fondness for Zi You.

    Her youngest daughter, Yu Meilian was disliked by Shangguan LingRan for her ugly walking posture. She was like an old duck, with a straight waist and fat bottom.

    Even her name was criticized by that guy. ¡°Yu Meilian. Even the fish don¡¯t want face, how could she be beautiful then?¡± [Her name Meilian means beautiful lotus, but it sounds the same as Yu: fish, Meilian: without face/shame. LOL :D]

 Chapter 79.1 Making Friends

    <h4>Chapter 79.1 Making Friends</h4>

    What kind of words were these? So, that guy was picky and choosy. He was sixteen and a half years old and wasn¡¯t engaged, making the Empress Dowager very impatient.

    Zi You looked around and didn¡¯t see Yu LanXuan. She thought Minister of revenue furen, N¨¦e Yu, must not have wanted to bring her Shu daughter into the limelight. So she only brought her youngest daughter who was not yet engaged, Yu Meilian, here.

    After the meal ended and the y had not yet started, N¨¦e Yu looked meaningfully at the noble xiaojies, revealing a generous and friendly smile.

    Three of them immediately turned their heads away and no longer looked at her. Three returned a friendly smile back to her.

    Zi You now had an excellent memory, to the level of once-seen-never-forgotten. She recognized the three xiaojies who looked away. One was Right Minister¡¯s Di granddaughter, Xia Ruoqing, twelve or thirteen years old. Another was Duke Jingnan¡¯s fourth daughter, Ji Bingyu, also twelve or thirteen years old. Thest was N¨¦e Liu¡¯s cousin¡¯s daughter, Duke Angguo¡¯s youngest Di daughter, Liu Ruixue.

    Liu Ruixue was fourteen years old and chosen to be Taizi¡¯s cefei. The wedding was to be held before next year¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival. In other words, in less than a year, she would be married to the twenty-year-old Taizi, Shangguan Pengxuan.

    Because they were older than her, Zi You went over and calmly curtsied. She lightly cleared her throat, ¡°Greetings to Liu jiejie, Xia jiejie, and Ji jiejie!¡±

    Since she came over to say hello first, the three guniangs immediately stood up and turned their bodies slightly to receive a half curtsy. Then they curtsied back and smiled. They said in unison, ¡°You¡¯re really pretty! Why do you look different from Great Yan¡¯s people?¡±

    If someone asked her this in her previous life, Zi You would be ashamed and angry. She would walk away and ignore others. But now she would not.

 Chapter 79.2 Making Friends

    <h4>Chapter 79.2 Making Friends</h4>

    Zi You tilted her head and carefully examined the three¡¯s facial features. Mischievously and charmingly, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s the same. There¡¯s one nose, two ears, one mouth, and a pair of eyes. What is different?¡±

    Then she blinked her big and bright-like-obsidian eyes.

    When she didn¡¯t use psychic powers, her eyes were ck. Once she used them, her eyes would be dark purple. If she continued to use powers, the purple would be lighter and lighter, until it was apletely transparent light amethyst color.

    Only Old General Mu had seen the entire process. He sighed emotionally, ¡°There are such beautiful eyes in the world!¡±

    The three little guniangs were amused until they clutched their small cherry mouths andughed.

    Xia Ruoqing spoke with a heavy Jingdu ent, ¡°But your nose is higher and your eyes are better-looking than ours. Your clothes are also a bit different?¡±

    Ji Bingyu nodded along. ¡°Yes, I heard some people say you¡¯re not born from a Great Yan mother. Your mother is from Nanjiang. Is it true?¡±

    Great Yan looked down on Nanjiang people. The three guniangs not looking at Zi You with contempt in their eyes was already very good.

    Liu Ruixue was rted to N¨¦e Liu so she understood some of Dier¡¯s matters. She immediately rushed to say, ¡°That¡¯s not right. I heard from Aunt [N¨¦e Liu] that your mother was from India. She was from the same town as Buddha Siddharta Gautama, right?¡±

    Zi You revealed a gorgeous smile, stunning the three little guniangs!

    Even N¨¦e Liu, An Wangfei, and Duke Yongnan furen, N¨¦e Chen, who were watching on the side, secretly sighed. There was actually such a beautiful smile in the world. It was like a glittering snow lotus growing on top of an iceberg: crystal clear, cool, pure, and elegant.

 Chapter 80.1 The Scum Son and Motherâ€™s Scheme [1]

    <h4>Chapter 80.1 The Scum Son and Mother¡¯s Scheme [1]</h4>

    Zi You replied, neither servile nor overbearing: ¡°Liu jiejie is correct. I am not born from a Nanjiang woman. My mother is born from Indian and Great Yan parents. India is east of our country and its national clothing is called sari. My clothing is modeled after the Indian sari and our Great Yan¡¯s short coat and skirt. If three jiejies like it, I can give the drawings to you.¡±

    Guniangs loved beauty. They all happily said, ¡°Great, great. Your dress is really pretty. We want one too.¡±

    Liu Ruixue thought about it and said, ¡°But there is no ink and paper here. What if we go to the study so you can draw it out?¡±

    Zi You smiled, ¡°It¡¯s no problem. When the General¡¯s Manor holds a banquet, I will send invitations to three jiejies. Jiejies muste. I will give you the drawings then.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t pretending to be reserved. She and Liu Ruixue just met. Going into someone else¡¯s study wasn¡¯t very good.

    ¡°En. Okay, okay.¡± The three were very happy. They didn¡¯t think Zi You would be so cordial.

    They rarely saw her participate in social avitivies. Even when they did see her, she was hiding behind Wang Yiping with her head down and not talking to people.

    For a time, the guniangs chattered together. They regretted not having met each other sooner. Zi You then found out that Ji Bingyu was thirteen, Xia Ruoqing was thirteen, and Liu Ruixue was fourteen years old.

    The three gifted personally-made embroidered pouches to Zi You.

    Zi You also brought out her embroidered pouch. The difference was that it was filled with anti-poison medicine inside. ¡°First Jie, Second Jie, Third Jie [intimate addresses], this pouch has medicine, which can prevent poisoning. If someone was in contact with poison mist, putting this pouch under her nose and sniffing it can detoxify it. If it is...¡±

 Chapter 80.2 The Scum Son and Motherâ€™s Scheme [1]

    <h4>Chapter 80.2 The Scum Son and Mother¡¯s Scheme [1]</h4>

    Zi You had not finished speaking when N¨¦e Chen [Duke Yongnan furen] came over. She held Zi You¡¯s wrists and said with a false smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you xiaojies. I¡¯m looking for You¡¯er for something. You¡¯er, your grandfather and the Duke [N¨¦e Chen¡¯s husband] want to see you. Come with me to the study, okay?¡±

    Under everyone¡¯s eyes, Zi You could not refuse. She nodded, ¡°Please wait, aunt. Let me tell Auntie [N¨¦e Liu].¡±

    N¨¦e Chen didn¡¯t let go. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already told your Auntie. It won¡¯t take too long. Just asking you two questions.¡±

    Zi You did not suspect her. She thought that there were so many people watching her go with N¨¦e Chen. There was also Xia jiejie, Ji jiejie, and Liu jiejie to testify. She thought N¨¦e Chen wouldn¡¯t dare to hold any conspiracies.

    N¨¦e Chen pulled Zi You into the study called ¡°Yixiang Zhai.¡±

    Zi You saw that there was no one in the study. Also, the antiques inside were very luxurious and ostentatious. She was about to ask N¨¦e Chen, but N¨¦e Chen said, ¡°Oh! It seems we¡¯re here too early. Old General Mu and the Duke aren¡¯t here yet. You¡¯er, stay here and read some books for a while. I¡¯ll go urge your grandfather and the Duke.¡±

    Without waiting for Zi You¡¯s response, she turned and left Zi You. She left very quickly, as if someone was chasing her.

    Zi You immediately felt that something was wrong. She found out what was wrong with this study. These types of decorations... This was not Duke Yongnan¡¯s study.

 Chapter 81.1 The Scum Son and Motherâ€™s Scheme [2]

    <h4>Chapter 81.1 The Scum Son and Mother¡¯s Scheme [2]</h4>

    Zi You turned to leave, but the study door was pushed open. Zhao HongXiang, wearing colorful clothing, actually opened the door and walked inside.

    Zi You secretly sneered. It seemed it wasn¡¯t the Duke who wanted to see her, but the Duke¡¯s son. Before the engagement in her previous life, Zhao HongXiang also met her once privately. But that was when she was fourteen years old.

    At that time, this hypocrite pretended to be deeply devoted to her. He talked about his love and admiration for her. When she flew into a rage out of humiliation, he swore, ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m not taking advantage of you. But I cannot help myself. I did not consider too much. Please forgive my rashness!¡± He even cried two crocodile tears.

    It was those tears that deeply moved her. When grandfather asked for her opinion on the engagement, she did not object.

    When she marriedter on, General¡¯s Manor gave her almost 60,000 silvers in dowry. That was almost a third of the General¡¯s Manor fortunes. It really was ten miles of dowry gifts.

    After the marriage, under her tearful pleading, grandfather rmended Zhao HongXiang to be a minister in the Ministry of War. He went from an empty-titled Duke Yongnan Shizi to a powerful military official.

    Zi You looked at this enemy who strangled her to death. She hated that she couldn¡¯t peel his skin off, drink his blood, and cut him into pieces!

    Her nails pierced into her flesh. Zi You held back and didn¡¯t go forwards to tear up this scumbag. She revealed a sweet smile and said, ¡°Zi You pays respects to Shizi. Wishing Shizi good fortune.¡±

    Zhao HongXiang saw that she was more elegant and exquisite today than that day at the Genera¡¯s Manor. He couldn¡¯t help but look lustfully at her, ¡°You meimei [literally younger sister, can be used to denote familiarity], don¡¯t have to mind such manners. I didn¡¯t expect that meimei is more beautiful in these past two months without seeing you. I...¡±

 Chapter 81.2 The Scum Son and Motherâ€™s Scheme [2]

    <h4>Chapter 81.2 The Scum Son and Mother¡¯s Scheme [2]</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shizi! You¡¯er is here to see the Duke and grandfather. If you don¡¯t have any business, You¡¯er will take her leave.¡±

    Although Zi You wanted to take care of this scum, but since N¨¦e Chen called her over, she didn¡¯t know if this scum designed some evil scheme. So Zi You interrupted his words delicately.

    Who knew Zhao HongXiang would make a gesture like a drunkard at a brothel stopping a guniang? He frivolously said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave, You meimei. I¡¯m the one who had mother call you here. I have lots of words to say to meimei. I...¡±

    Scum man! He really was colluding with his mother to do bad things. You asked for it today. If didn¡¯t teach you a lesson today, I would be sorry for the opportunity the heavens gave me.

    Zi You¡¯s beautiful eyes gradually turned purple. She suddenly smiled seductively. In a moment, it was like a purple mandara flower in full bloom, bewitchingly seductive and permeated the whole room.

    That pair of purple eyes turned clear and sharp, like amethyst submerged underwater: crystal clear and emitting a dazzling light.

    Her vermilion petal-like lips opened. A delicate voice sounding like music hooked Zhao HongXiang¡¯s soul out. ¡°To see me, Xiang gege [literally older brother, can be used to denote familiarity], doesn¡¯t have to lie. Just call me and I will deinifetelye.¡±

    She lightly turned around and went outside.

    Zhao HongXiang looked at her as if he was high in the clouds: bewildered and confused. His mind was nk. His heartbeats were like drumbeats. His hands and feet weren¡¯t in his control.

    He grabbed Zi You and was about to speak, but Zi You blew a fragrant breath towards him. It smelled like orchid and musk and something he never smelled before.

 Chapter 82.1 Someone Saw Her Punishing the Slag Man

    <h4>Chapter 82.1 Someone Saw Her Punishing the g Man</h4>

    Zhao HongXiang couldn¡¯t help but deeply inhaled. His mind went nk and fell to the ground not knowing what happened.

    Zi You smiled bitterly. Quick as lightning, a thin-as-a-cow¡¯s-hair embroidery needle was inserted into his Weizhong point (behind the knee). She resentfully scolded, ¡°**! Hypocrite, I¡¯ll let you be a cripple. I want to see...¡± [It said ** in the raws.]

    ¡°Haha...¡± Zi You didn¡¯t finish when she heard someone¡¯sughter. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell tell that you little yatou is so malicious. He just likes you and wants to meet you alone. You don¡¯t have to cripple him, right?¡±

    The voice came from the roof. Zi You lifted her head and saw a devilishly handsome man simr to a demonic evildoer around fifteen or sixteen years old looking at her. He smiled an evil charming smile at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Zi You recognized with one nce that this was the person who stole her dough figure in the market. She suddenly narrowed her eyes and threw the cow¡¯s hair-thin embroidery needle at him.

    The dandy xiaoye [young master, lord] repeatedly dodged and whispered smilingly, ¡°Hey! You want to silence me? So poisonous. Be careful you can¡¯t get married.¡±

    The dough figure Zi You threw that day with 20% of her power was caught easily by him.

    Today, she did not detect his breathing at all as he hung from the beams. So she knew this dandy¡¯s martial arts weren¡¯t weak. Therefore, she used her full power to fling the embroidery needle. She didn¡¯t expect he could dodge.

    Zi You thought about how he called her ugly at the market and how he discovered her taking care of Zhao HongXiang. Her anger rushed forwards.

 Chapter 82.2 Someone Saw Her Punishing the Slag Man

    <h4>Chapter 82.2 Someone Saw Her Punishing the g Man</h4>

    She didn¡¯t know which fu¡¯s hateful bastard he was! If she did not subdue him today and the news of her teaching Zhao HongXiang a lesson was spread out, then her ns for revenge could not be carried out.

    Thinking of this, Zi You pinched herself hard. She was in so much pain, ayer of mist quickly formed over her eyes. She looked delicately and aggrieved at the ¡°gentleman¡± on top of the beam. With a sob, she cried, ¡°This gege, we don¡¯t have any animosities between us. Why are you doing this to me?¡±

    She pointed to Zhao HongXiang and said hatefully, ¡°You don¡¯t know how annoying this person is. Because my grandfather and his father are friends, he intended to...¡±

    ¡°Shh, someone¡¯sing.¡± Zi You hadn¡¯t finish, when the gentleman hurriedly jumped down, grabbed her, and flew with her out the study window.

    The ones at the door turned out to be Duke Yongnan, his wife, and Old General Mu. They saw Zhao HongXiang unconscious on the floor with a depraved expression on his face, as if he was dreaming about something vulgar. They were all stunned...

    After being stunned for two seconds, N¨¦e Chen threw herself at her son and cried out. ¡°Heavens! What is this? I obviously told You¡¯er to wait here. How did it be Xiang¡¯er? What¡¯s wrong with my son? Why are you unconscious here? Where¡¯s You¡¯er?¡±

    Duke Yongnan heard her speaking nonsense and saw that Old General Mu was frowning, so he got angry. He rushed to reprimand her, ¡°Shut up! What nonsense are you saying? Why aren¡¯t you going to get the doctor?¡±

    N¨¦e Chen saw her husband getting angry and shut her mouth. She looked at her son and reluctantly went out.

    On the other side, Zi You was carried out of the window by the ¡°gentleman¡± until theynded behind the fake mountain. But this young man still did not let go of his arms around her. She gritted her teeth in hatred and spat out a hallucinogen at him.

 Chapter 83.1 The Young Ruffian An Wang Shizi

    <h4>Chapter 83.1 The Young Ruffian An Wang Shizi</h4>

    The teenager was looking around and did not expect that Zi You would suddenly spray a hallucinogen at him. He was caught. His arms loosened around Zi You and he slowly fell to the ground.

    Zi You saw him sumb to the drug. She was about to use her embroidery needle to stab him, but suddenly stopped. She coldly sneered, ¡°Since you¡¯re not bad to a certain degree, I¡¯ll just spare you this time. If you dare to interfere with my matters next time, see how I will deal with you!¡±

    She fiercely kicked the teenager and then disappeared.

    Zi You was focused on leaving so she did not see that the teenager lying on the ground slowly opened his extremely clear and deep phoenix eyes. He looked at the direction that Zi You left from and revealed a devilishly charming smile.

    This little yatou was really fierce. If this Shizi did not have strong martial arts, this kick would make me sore for ten to fifteen days.

    She was really cold and ruthless. This Shizi saved your reputation at the least. You weren¡¯t appreciative but instead bit the hand that saved you and ¡°drugged¡± me.

    Fortunately, this Shizi was Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s 157th sect master¡¯s beloved disciple and practiced Xuantian Jue and reached the seventh stage. One would one¡¯s breath automatically encountering hallucinogens or poison mists. Otherwise, he really would have sumbed to the little yatou¡¯s trap.

    It seemed like this yatou was proficient in using medicines since she could use her mouth to spray out drugs. That really was difficult to guard against and much more difficult to deal with than poisoning with one¡¯s hands.

    You dared to trap me? Little yatou, next time you meet this Shizi, see how this Shizi would deal with you.

    This teenager that Zi You provoked was An Wang Shizi, Shangguan LingRan, one of the infamous ¡°Four Tyrants.¡±

 Chapter 83.2 The Young Ruffian An Wang Shizi

    <h4>Chapter 83.2 The Young Ruffian An Wang Shizi</h4>

    The Xuantian Jue that Shangguan LingRan practiced was Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s exclusive internal energy method. At the eighth stage, one¡¯s body would be imprable to weapons and hundreds of poisons. At the ninth stage, in addition to one¡¯s body being imprable to weapons and hundreds of poisons, one would also be immune to fire, water, and death. A diamond-ted body would alsoe easily. At the tenth stage, one could fly to the heavens or the earth and be immortal.

    Shangguan LingRan was young, but a genius in Daoism. At the age of two and a half, he was epted as the direct disciple of Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s 157th sect master, the now immortal and more than 1,000 years old Xuanyuan Daozhang [Daoist priest]. Shangguan LingRan cultivated on Emei Mountain for eleven years.

    And the Shangguan LingRan in An Wang fu was a substitute his grandfather Old Prime Minister Yang found.

    Even An Wang was not aware of this matter. There was no other way. An Wang was good in everything, except family matters. He favored the Jiao Cefei that his brother the Emperor bestowed on him.

    [TL Note: The raws previously said ¡°Su Cefei,¡± but the author changed it to ¡°Jiao Cefei.¡±]

    He loved her and everyone associated with her. He even especially favored Jiao Cefei¡¯s son. If the Empress Dowager did not have the Emperor make Shangguan LingRan the Shizi, the Shizi would not be him, Shangguan LingRan.

    After Shangguan LingRan¡¯s substitute was injured on the way to the capital and the news was secretly passed on to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s grandfather, Old Prime Minister Yang had no choice but to recall the real him who was cultivating on Emei Mountain. He was secretly smuggled back into the capital.

    As for who wanted to harm him, the matter was still unclear. To find out the truth, Shangguan LingRan had to disguise himself as the dandy tyrant that the original substitute was. He evaded plots and intrigues from those who wanted to harm him from all sides, while secretly investigating those who wanted to harm him.

    As for how he encountered Zi You teaching Zhao HongXiang a lesson, it was because he found out that one of the people who wanted to harm him had secret dealings with Zhao HongXiang. Therefore, he snuck out from the banquet and ran to Zhao HongXiang¡¯s study to look for clues. He didn¡¯t expect to run into such an interesting situation.

 Chapter 84.1 The Scheme Failed, NÃ©e Chen Loses Control [1]

    <h4>Chapter 84.1 The Scheme Failed, N¨¦e Chen Loses Control [1]</h4>

    The hallucinogen that was in Zi You¡¯s mouth was created after studying the books her mother left behind. As for why she wasn¡¯t affected by the drug: that was because she already took the antidote before she came to Duke Yongnan fu.

    She must be smart this lifetime. No matter where she went, she had to take precautions for all types of emergency situations.

    Someone who had died once was more cautious and alert than anyone else. Her body had no less than five or six medicines and multiple hidden weapons.

    When she was following N¨¦e Chen earlier, she kept feeling that something was wrong. She couldn¡¯t help but be secretly vignt. So she secretly put the hallucinogen into her mouth.

    As for how Zhao HongXiang was so bold to call Zi You into his study, it was because he heard his father telling N¨¦e Chen, ¡°Call You¡¯er over here. There are some paintings I want her and Old General Mu to look at.¡±

    Zhao HongXiang immediately stopped N¨¦e Chen. He pleaded in a low tone, ¡°Mother, take You¡¯er into my study. I have something to say to her.¡±

    N¨¦e Chen hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, this is not appropriate. If Old General Mu finds out, he won¡¯t spare you.¡±

    A trace of a sinister gleam shed across Zhao HongXiang¡¯s eyes. He whispered into N¨¦e Chen¡¯s ears for a while.

    N¨¦e Chen immediately nodded and revealed a ruthless smile.

    The scheme the two dreamed up was this: Since Duke Yongnan wanted N¨¦e Chen to call Zi You over, he and Old General Mu must already be waiting in the Duke¡¯s study.

    N¨¦e Chen was to bring Zi You to her son¡¯s study and let her and her son have a private meeting. Then, when Duke Yongnan and Old General Mu impatiently sent her to urge Zi You, N¨¦e Chen would find a suitable time to have someone reluctantly and embarrassedly tell Old General Mu and her husband that Zi You was in her son¡¯s study, with her son.

 Chapter 84.2 The Scheme Failed, NÃ©e Chen Loses Control [1]

    <h4>Chapter 84.2 The Scheme Failed, N¨¦e Chen Loses Control [1]</h4>

    Once Old General Mu heard the news, he would be very angry. He would rush there in anger to find out what was going on.

    In the study, as long as he found Zi You and Zhao HongXiang alone together, whether or not anything happened, Mu Zi You would certainly have to marry Zhao HongXiang. Even if Old General Mu did not agree, N¨¦e Chen would make this matter known to the world.

    In the previous lifetime, Duke Yongnan fu wanting to marry Zi You over went very smoothly. Because Zi You was not as outstanding then as she was now. She rarely participated in social gatherings. Even when she attended, no one noticed her. It wasn¡¯t like now, where she was noticed by An Wangfei early on.

    Moreover, Zhao HongXiang did not want to marry Zi You so desperately to the point where he wouldn¡¯t marry anyone if it wasn¡¯t her. Back then, Zi You was engaged to him at the age of fourteen. Before then, he already had six or seven tongfang yatous.

    If Zi You was not deceived by him, Old General Mu had no intentions of marrying her to Zhao HongXiang. How could an upright Old General Mu put a lustful Zhao HongXiang in his eyes?

    As Old General Mu predicted, Zhao HongXiang really was a g male of the highest degree!

    Zi You returned back to N¨¦e Liu¡¯s side. She pretended to be ignorant and said in a voice all the guests could hear, ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the matter. Aunt Chen [N¨¦e Chen] said that Duke Yongnan and grandfather wanted to see You¡¯er. She had You¡¯er wait in the study. But You¡¯er waited a long time and didn¡¯t see grandfather or the Duke. Aunt Chen said she would go see, but where did she go? Did shee back? And what did grandfather and the Duke wanted to find You¡¯er for? I left the study and found the way back here with difficulties. I asked for directions, but the fu¡¯s maidservants pointed me east and some pointed me west. I walked around in circles and almost fainted.¡±

    N¨¦e Liu frowned. She lovingly pulled Zi You to sit next to herself. She said in discontent, ¡°You sit down and rest. If there really is some matter, grandfather will send someone to fetch you.¡±

 Chapter 85.1 The Scheme Failed, NÃ©e Chen Loses Control [2]

    <h4>Chapter 85.1 The Scheme Failed, N¨¦e Chen Loses Control [2]</h4>

    N¨¦e Liu had just finished speaking when N¨¦e Chen came over looking unhappy to find Zi You. In a ming tone, she asked, ¡°You¡¯er, didn¡¯t I tell you to wait in the study? Why did youe back? When did youe back? When Xiang¡¯er went into the study, where were you?¡±

    Zi You saw that N¨¦e Chen had a fierce expression and pretended to be afraid and hid behind N¨¦e Liu.

    Indeed, N¨¦e Liu was unhappy and stood up in front of Zi You. She coldly said, ¡°What is Duke Yongnan furen doing? You want to bully people? Whatever You¡¯er did wrong, she has the General Manor¡¯s elders to discipline her. When is it someone else¡¯s turn to reprimand her? Preposterous. You¡¯er, let¡¯s go. We would choke on this meal.¡±

    N¨¦e Chen never would have thought that N¨¦e Liu would not give her face publicly. N¨¦e Chen¡¯s face instantly turned the color of a monkey¡¯s butt.

    Because of her son¡¯s matter, she was taking her anger out on Zi You. She always thought that this foreign Zi You was an inauspicious person. Otherwise, how could her son be fine going to see her in the study, but suddenly fainted and couldn¡¯t be awoken?

    She originally thought that N¨¦e Liu was only Zi You¡¯s aunt, since Zi You¡¯s biological mother died. And since the rtions between the two families weren¡¯t bad, N¨¦e Liu would at most be unhappy if N¨¦e Chen reprimanded Zi You harshly. N¨¦e Liu would certainly not publicly stand up for Zi You.

    But things turned out unexpectedly. She didn¡¯t think N¨¦e Liu would publicly defend Zi You and put N¨¦e Chen in an awkward situation.

    If she really let N¨¦e Liu take Zi You away like this, then the hatred between Duke Yongnan fu and General¡¯s Manor would be forged. After all, whether her son¡¯s ident had anything to do with Mu Zi You was not clear. She was not sure that Mu Zi You caused her son to be unconscious.

 Chapter 85.2 The Scheme Failed, NÃ©e Chen Loses Control [2]

    <h4>Chapter 85.2 The Scheme Failed, N¨¦e Chen Loses Control [2]</h4>

    N¨¦e Chen was also adaptable. After being rebuked by N¨¦e Liu, she immediately had tears in her eyes. With a tearful face, she exined to N¨¦e Liu, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry at me. I was anxious so my words were thoughtless. But I did not mean to reproach You¡¯er. I just wanted to ask clearly. I saw Xiang¡¯er walk into the study and You¡¯er was still inside. You¡¯er is fine, but Xiang¡¯er is ... is unconscious...¡±

    N¨¦e Chen¡¯s tears flowed. She had an expression of a loving mother who was worried about her son and thus, lost control. But the eyes she looked at Zi You with were still suspicious and resentful.

    There was no other way. She was unhappy about Zi You¡¯s origins. And after this matter, she wanted to see Zi You even less.

    Zi You secretly sneered. This matter was indeed the work of mother and son colluding together. Such a conspiracy wanted to make her lose her reputation and obediently be at their mercy.

    As such, I would let you move a rock just to crush your own foot!

    Zi You¡¯s tears also came quickly. Glistening tears like pearls gushed down. Her body shook like falling leaves in the intense cold. Her voice was frail enough to have people take pity on her. ¡°If Aunt knows I was in the study, why did you let Shizi go in? If Shizi goes in, You¡¯er can¡¯te out? Although, You¡¯er is young, she knows that men and women should maintain distance. It is not appropriate for a man and woman to be alone in a room together. So, after Shizi entered, You¡¯er hastened to leave. When You¡¯er left, Shizi was fine. How would I know there would be an incident?¡±

 Chapter 86.1 NÃ©e Liu and An Wangfei Support Zi You

    <h4>Chapter 86.1 N¨¦e Liu and An Wangfei Support Zi You</h4>

    She then cried with grief in N¨¦e Liu¡¯s arms. ¡°Aunt... what do I do? How can such a thing happen? If Shizi doesn¡¯t wake up, would You¡¯er... You¡¯er be falsely used of murder? But You¡¯er is really wronged! You¡¯er has no grievance or animosity with Shizi. Why would... You¡¯er hurt him? And how could You¡¯er hurt him?¡±

    Zi You gained everyone¡¯s sympathy and rified one fact. She had no grievance or animosity with Zhao HongXiang so why would she hurt him? And how could a little guniang hurt a man bigger than her?

    Sure enough, An Wangfei could not listen any longer. She couldn¡¯t help but touch Zi You with pity and softlyforted, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯er, things aren¡¯t so serious. Nothing will happen to the Shizi. Even if something does happen, who would believe a little guniang like you can hurt such a big man? You have to have that ability, right? Look at your delicate and weak hands and arms. How can you hurt a big man a few years older than you? No one will believe it.¡±

    This An Wangfei was really nice! Zi You was grateful that she extended a helping hand time and time again. It was like she saw her own biological mother. She threw herself into An Wangfei¡¯s bosom and cried loudly in grievance. ¡°Wangfei... wuu...¡±

    An Wangfei had no daughters and only her precious son Shangguan LingRan. Now that Zi You¡¯s soft and fragrant body was crying in her arms, her tender motherly feelings couldn¡¯t help but be stirred.

    Thinking over Zi You¡¯s words, she got angrier and immediately stood up for Zi You. ¡°Actually, now what I think about it, Duke Yongnan furen¡¯s own actions are wrong. Since you had You¡¯er wait in the study, why did you not stop your son from going into the study when you saw him? You¡¯er is right. Men and women should maintain distance. Don¡¯t you know? Or do you have something... Aiyo! It really is so! Gee...¡±

 Chapter 86.2 NÃ©e Liu and An Wangfei Support Zi You

    <h4>Chapter 86.2 N¨¦e Liu and An Wangfei Support Zi You</h4>

    An Wangfei did not continue speaking, but others understood what she meant. The eyes that everyone looked at N¨¦e Chen with were filled with condemnation.

    Minister of Revenue furen N¨¦e Lu was originally excited to see Zi You being reprimanded. But she did not expect this darned yatou to be so lucky. First N¨¦e Liu and now An Wangfei spoke out in support of her.

    Seeing how much An Wangfei liked Zi You and thinking of her own daughter¡¯s humiliation, N¨¦e Lu couldn¡¯t help but step forwards. Laughing strangely, she said, ¡°Could it be Wangfei likes Mu Xiaojie? Aiyo! Duke Yongnan furen, I suggest you swallow this anger. Mu Xiaojie has such a strong support backing her. What can you do to her?¡±

    Zi You was silently angered! She cried even harder in An Wangfei¡¯s arms and directed her psychic power at N¨¦e Lu. N¨¦e Lu had not sit down when her skirt and under-trousers both fell down. Her two white legs were revealed.

    An Wangfeiughed like flowers shaking. ¡°Lu furen, even if you are excited, you cannot lose your dignity in public! Ah? Haha...¡±

    Everyone wanted tough. But they thought about it, thought it was wrong, and didn¡¯tugh. However, notughing was suffocating them. Thus, the noble furens and xiaojies¡¯ expressions were really interesting to look at. Their facial muscles were twisted and trembling. It was extremely funny.

    Fortunately, at this time, a servant reported that the Shizi was awake.

    N¨¦e Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered to make trouble for Zi You anymore and hurriedly left.

 Chapter 87.1 Zi You Splendidly Startles People at Duke Anguo Fu

    <h4>Chapter 87.1 Zi You Splendidly Startles People at Duke Anguo Fu</h4>

    After N¨¦e Chen left, N¨¦e Liu thought a bit. She thanked An Wangfei and then told Zi You, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should take a look at what¡¯s going on too. Don¡¯t let someone inexplicably me you for no reason.¡±

    An Wangfei also nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Go tell Old General Mu the words that N¨¦e Chen said earlier.¡±

    N¨¦e Liu and Zi You curtsied gratefully. They then went towards Zhao HongXiang¡¯s study.

    On their way, Zi You told N¨¦e Liu what happened when she saw Zhao HongXiang in the study. She concealed that Zhao HongXiang was a rogue. She hid that she controlled him and encountered someone saving her.

    N¨¦e Liu quickly found her husband and father-inw. She told them what happened after N¨¦e Chen called Zi You away. She also told them the words N¨¦e Chen said earlier to Old General Mu.

    Old General Mu¡¯s face turned gloomy. Compared to before, his impression of N¨¦e Chen was significantly lowered.

    He really couldn¡¯t tell that the smiling furen was so distasteful. If you like our You¡¯er, you should have asked for our opinion. After we agreed, you could just send a matchmaker to set the engagement. How could you connive with your son to let him and You¡¯er meet alone?

    Moreover, what did You¡¯er have to do with your son fainting? Why did you take your anger out on our You¡¯er? You think it is easy bullying a motherless child?

    The more he thought, the angrier Old General Mu was. He told N¨¦e Liu and Mu YingYi, ¡°Take You¡¯er back. I¡¯ll go ask Duke Yongnan what¡¯s the meaning of this. Is he bullying our General¡¯s Manor for having no one around? Or is it because You¡¯er is honest and has no mother, so she can be bullied?¡±

    Zi You grabbed her grandfather¡¯s hand and lovably rubbed her red eyes. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t quarrel with Uncle [the Duke] and speak nicely.¡±

 Chapter 87.2 Zi You Splendidly Startles People at Duke Anguo Fu

    <h4>Chapter 87.2 Zi You Splendidly Startles People at Duke Anguo Fu</h4>

    Old General Mu saw that his granddaughter was so sensible and felt sorrier for her. He smiled and softly reassured her, ¡°Be good. Go back with your Aunt and Uncle. Grandfather will uphold justice for you here. Don¡¯t worry. No matter who wants to bully you, grandfather will not agree!¡±

    This kind of family! Zi You nodded and secretly swore to herself that she would safely protect her family this lifetime and not let them die early!

    On one side, Mu YingYi and N¨¦e Liu brought Zi You away and returned to the Manor without saying goodbye.

    On the other side, Old General Mu angrily went to find Duke Yongnan. He first asked about Zhao HongXiang¡¯s condition. Duke Yongnan deeply sighed. ¡°Ai¡­ there¡¯s nothing serious. The Imperial Doctor said that he might have encountered some drugged mist and suddenly fainted. Fortunately, this mist wasn¡¯t harmful. The person did not want my son¡¯s life. But I asked Xiang¡¯er. Xiang¡¯er doesn¡¯t remember what happened. It¡¯s really strange.¡±

    At this point, Duke Yongnan was a bit embarrassed. He carefully said, ¡°Old General Mu, we have been friends for many years. If junior [referring to himself] says something wrong, please forgive me. It¡¯s like this: my furen said that Xiang¡¯er and You¡¯er saw each other once in the study. I¡¯m afraid¡­ I¡¯m afraid Xiang¡¯er did something impolite to You¡¯er so she retaliated in punishment. I remember that You¡¯er has medical skills, right?¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s fuse was lit. With an ashen face, he said to Duke Yongnan, ¡°You¡¯er studied medicine to save people, not to use hallucinogens. What does your furen actually want to do? You¡¯er at least saved your son¡¯s lifest time. Even if you do not repay the kindness, you can¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you right? I won¡¯t talk about you secretly arranging a private meeting between You¡¯er and your son. But when your son is in trouble, you publicly went to find You¡¯er and berate her, suspecting that You¡¯er harmed your son.

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! Your son is older than You¡¯er by three years and is male. This general wants to ask you, how did your son manage to let You¡¯er drug him? Is he so obedient that he¡¯ll do whatever You¡¯er tells him to? Whatever your son did, go ask him. You¡¯er doesn¡¯t know anything. She saw your son went in[to the study] and immediately left. You think our Mu fu¡¯s family upbringing is like yours,cking etiquette? Zhao Dexuan, I thought you weren¡¯t a bad person so I¡¯m friends with you. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re so muddle-headed. Forget it, let¡¯s break off our friendship now.¡±

 Chapter 87.3

    <h4>Chapter 87.3</h4>

    After he finished speaking, Old General Mu ignored Duke Yongnan¡¯s frantic calls behind him and left Duke Yongnan fu withrge strides.

    The next day, Duke Yongnan brought his wife and son over to apologize.

    N¨¦e Chen clutched Zi You¡¯s hand and tearfully said, ¡°You¡¯er, Aunt is muddle-headed. Don¡¯t lower yourself to Aunt¡¯s level. I did not stop Xiang¡¯er because he always said that he wanted to thank you in person for saving him. So, I did not stop him from entering the study that day. You¡¯er, tell the truth. Did he do something disrespectful that you resent him for? If that¡¯s the case, Aunt is here to apologize for him. Don¡¯t me him. me Aunt for letting him see you in private.¡±

    The tone of voice was sincere and the attitude was genuine. If Zi You did not experience her previous life and N¨¦e Chen¡¯s hypocrisy and maliciousness, Zi You would have been fooled again.

    With the lesson from her previous life, she not only did not believe her, but she would not fully believe in anyone, expect for her grandfather, uncle, aunt, and a few loyal servants anymore.

    For her n of vengeance, Zi You chose to smile gently. ¡°Aunt, you speak too seriously. Why would You¡¯er hate Shizi? He didn¡¯t do anything. He thanked me for saving himst time and then I left. I don¡¯t know who made him faint. Aunt, is Shizi alright?¡±

    N¨¦e Chen shook her head and released a sigh of relief. The truth was that Zhao HongXiang still could not recall what happened in the study.

    He only remembered that he and Zi You were talking. She smiled at him, but he could not recall the rest.

    Even if he was asked if he said something disrespectful to Zi You, he could not remember.

    The good thing was that there was nothing else wrong with his body or N¨¦e Chen would go crazy.

    N¨¦e Chen did not expect that the thin-as-a-cow-hair embroidery needle in the back of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s knee would make her son suffer indescribable misery a few dayster. Finally, the joint cavity would repeatedly be infected. The cause was not found and he was almostme. In the end, Zi You cured him.

 Chapter 87.4

    <h4>Chapter 87.4</h4>

    Zi You gave that embroidery needle a name: Silver Light Rain. It was really like fine, light drizzles of rain.

    This was something she specially created after she lost to Shangguan LingRan in the market. It was to be used in dealing with situations like this.

    Earlier, Zhao HongXiang felt that his legs were slightly ufortable. The doctor thought it was some insect bite so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.

    Duke Yongnan furen lowered her posture so much and Old General Mu could not me a woman. Therefore, he resumed his friendship with Duke Yongnan fu.

    When Duke Yongnan brought up the matter of marriage between the two families, Old General Mu immediately refused because he had a bad impression of N¨¦e Chen.

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    Duke Yongnan entreated piteously. He kneeled to Old General Mu. ¡°Old General, I¡¯m really sincere in wanting You¡¯er to be my daughter-inw. Since my son was saved by You¡¯erst time, he had vowed that he would marry no one but her. You wouldn¡¯t watch my son be a bachelor right?¡±

    Old General Mu was in a dilemma. He had no other solutions so he dyed him. ¡°You¡¯er is still young. She¡¯s only twelve years old. It¡¯s too early for an engagement. Let¡¯s talk after two years.¡±

    Like this, he sent Duke Yongnan away.

    Three days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Duke Anguo fu was holding a banquet. Duke Anguo fu was the maiden family of the current Empress Dowager and also Zi You¡¯s Aunt, N¨¦e Liu¡¯s, father¡¯s elder brother¡¯s family.

    Duke Anguo¡¯s fourth Di daughter, Liu Ruixue, was also a friend Zi You just made. She had already been titled Taizi Cefei. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival of next year, she would be married to Taizi.

 Chapter 87.5

    <h4>Chapter 87.5</h4>

    Wang Yiping fainted after kneeling in the ancestral hall for two days. She had to be carried out.

    Zi You went to visit her with a food box in the meantime. Seeing Wang Yiping battered and exhausted kneeling for her mother, Zi You felt like she ate a big watermelon in the hottest days of summer. It was so refreshing!

    Slut, this was just the beginning. I want you to be just like me in my previous life. After you die, you would be scolded for not being virtuous, humiliated, and rejected by your family.

    Zi You was filled with hatred, but she put on a distressed face. She took out the food and looked around. She whispered, ¡°Mother, quickly eat some food. I stole it from the kitchen. Nobody saw me.¡±

    Wang Yiping looked up and saw Zi You in the candlelight. Her anger rushed forwards. How could she eat? Zi You was the one who brought on all her suffering.

    Zi You should hate her for injuring her. But now she stole food for her?

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    Was this yatou pretending to be distressed or was she really distressed? If she was pretending, at such a young age with such deep thoughts, it was too scary! She was only twelve years old.

    Zi You saw Wang Yiping phoenix eyes gloomily look at her, like a poisonous snake. She was suspicious. Immediately pretending to be anxious, Zi You said, ¡°Quickly eat, mother. It won¡¯t taste good if it¡¯s cold.¡±

    Wang Yiping was cold and hungry. She really wanted to eat the food Zi You brought. But was afraid that Zi You poisoned it, so she looked at the tempting red braised pork ribs and rice and salivated.

    Zi You saw through her concerns. She used the chopsticks to throw a piece of rib in her mouth. While chewing, she whispered, ¡°En. It¡¯s really fragrant. Mother, have a taste. It¡¯s really good.¡±

    After seeing Zi You eat, then Wang Yiping picked up the chopsticks. She wolfed the food down, paying no attention to her image.

 Chapter 87.6

    <h4>Chapter 87.6</h4>

    Zi You slowly brought a chopstick of rice to her mouth. With a dreamy face, she said, ¡°This steamed rice is really fragrant and chewy. Wen Mama¡¯s cooking skills is getting better and better.¡±

    Wang Yiping finally put down her caution. She gobbled down the rice and braised pork ribs. In a short period of time, the food was eaten clean.

    Zi You secretly smiled. Fool! She did not poison the food, but put in a special powder with a hint of milk fragrance: Fragrant Milk Powder.

    Once someone consumed this powder, it will enter the bloodstream. It would adhere to the skin and it was impossible to get rid of.

    The Indian one-eyed spotted cobra liked the taste of milk the most. The cobra could find you no matter how far you run with this smell.

    When Dier left, she gave her snake Weishali for Old General Mu to bring back.

    In her previous life, Zi You frequently yed together with the snake. Sheter listened to Wang Yiping that snakes were disgusting and dirty so she gave Weishali away.

    Now, Zi You and Weishali were friends. Weishali basically understood the words Zi You says. The problem was that Zi You did not understand all of Weishali¡¯s actions. She had not reached the point where she was fully united with the cobra.

    But to reach a state of unity with the cobra was not easy. Zi You¡¯s spiritual power must reach a certain intensity.

    It was the same with her pot of five ck mandara flowers. Tomunicate with them, she must have strong spiritual and soul power to control them or it would backfire.

    This was the reason Zi You was working hard to cultivate her spiritual power. As long as she couldmunicate with these nts and animals, she could use them to spy on people, heal herself, confuse others, and even kill people.

    They could even take human forms and fight with her opponents.

    Zi You used her own blood every day to water the ck mandara flowers. Fortunately, the amount was small: just three or four drops a day.

 Chapter 87.7

    <h4>Chapter 87.7</h4>

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    Zi You felt that currently she didn¡¯t have enough time. Teaching those little guniangs medicine and martial arts and studying and practicing martial arts herself meant that she slept veryte. It was rare she slept before midnight.

    But because she had internal strength, she did not feel tired. She was studying her mother¡¯s books and learning how to refine pills that increase internal strength.

    If the refining was sessful, then she mastered one of her mother¡¯s skills.

    However, she still had lots to learn in order to reach her mother¡¯s level of calling the wind, summoning the rain, and bringing the dead back to life.

    Her maternal grandmother Goddess Mari was a goddess of rain in addition to being the goddess of flowers. She was well respected in India.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s trembling legs and colorless face made her unable to attend Duke Anguo¡¯s banquent. She could only gnash her teeth in hatred at Zi You and Old General Mu.

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    This was the Empress Dowager¡¯s maiden family. Wang Yiping originally wanted to go form good rtions with Duke Anguo furen so she could transfer Mu YingRui back. This was good too. If she couldn¡¯t go, that meant Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t return.

    Although Zi You did not like going out to socialize, but in order to not have people point at her, look at her as the child of some foreign tribeswoman, and to gain some respect for her mother, she put on delicate makeup for the banquet.

    She looked especially charming with silver red eyeshadow, wine red lip gloss, and a blooming silvery deep pink peony flower between her eyebrows. She wore a honey-colored long skirt, a wine red shawl with a silver-embroidered rose, and a short-sleeved lined jacket covered with various gemstones.

    Her jewelry was gold-iid Indian head essories, including nes, bracelets, and so on.

    Dier left a lot of such jewelry and clothing behind. With a little modification, they made Zi You¡¯s beautiful appearance even more outstanding.

 Chapter 87.8

    <h4>Chapter 87.8</h4>

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    If she was as elegant as lilies in Duke Yongnan fu, then she was like the red peony with morning dew in the garden today. Luxurious and graceful, of national grace and divine fragrance, the outstanding one in any group!

    So once she appeared, she attracted everyone¡¯s gazes and admiration.

    Compared to Duke Yongnan fu¡¯s banquet, Duke Anguo fu¡¯s banquet was on a much grander and bustling scale.

    Today, not only did the Emperor¡¯s older and younger brothers bring their families along, but even Taizi and Taizifei [legitimate consort of Taizi] were here.

    Who would dare to not give face to the Empress Dowager¡¯s maiden family? The Emperor touted filial piety to the world. Although he could not do everything the Empress Dowager said, but on the surface, he dared not be too disobedient.

    Taizifei was the Empress¡¯ niece. The Empress was Imperial Tutor She¡¯s Di daughter. Taizifei¡¯s father was the Empress¡¯ biological younger brother.

    Because one Empress and one Taizifei were from the She family, the Emperor was also afraid of and restraining the Imperial Tutor fu. Even Taizi was nervous. He was afraid the Emperor would be unhappy one day and remove his Taizi position.

    After all, the Emperor did not only have one son. Third Wangzi Shangguan Boyu¡¯s civil and martial arts skills were not below Taizi¡¯s and he was very favored by the Emperor.

    Old General Mu¡¯s military exploits were outstanding and his prestige was very high. He had the best martial arts in Great Yan and was the most qualified general. The Emperor trusted and relied on him heavily. So he was someone that all the forces wanted to rope in.

 Chapter 87.9

    <h4>Chapter 87.9</h4>

    Old General Mu was angry in Duke Yongnan fu because of his granddaughter, forcing Duke Yongnan to bring his wife and son to apologize. Even if Zi You did not have an outstanding appearance, she already drew the attention of all the different forces. She was as beautiful as Chang¡¯e, thedy of the moon and as elegant, noble, and mysterious so it was hard to be unnoticed by people.

    Third Wangzi Shangguan Boyu was fifteen years old. He was just engaged to the Great Schr Wen Yuanlin¡¯s Di granddaughter Wen Chuyan. He saw Zi You for the first time today.

    He had some regrets that his engagement was too carelessly set. How could he have agreed to his Fuwang¡¯s bestowment of an engagement after seeing Wen Chuyan once?

    Taizi also did not expect that Old General Mu would have such a beautiful granddaughter. He looked at Zi You from afar. He saw her graceful walk, anguid and cold smile on her face, and the guaze on her skirt blowing in the wind. Her body seemed to have gathered brilliance as beautiful as a peony fairy, hooking one¡¯s soul.

    There were hundreds of people in the garden. The numerous beautiful xiaojies were immediatelypared to her and lost.

    She was like a fairy that identally fell into the mortal world. She moved elegantly, contaminating the mundane world but also removed from the mortal world.

    Shangguan LingRan had an evil smile on his face. He looked at Zi You and then at the noble gongzis constantly staring her. A thoughtful and yful smile appeared.

    Haha... Roses were beautiful and fragrant, but they have thorns. Everyone, be careful of being pricked bloody!

    Zi You being watched by everyone made the N¨¦e Liu walking next to her worried.

    But she saw Zi You¡¯s posture, her calmness, her graceful and light steps. Moreover, Zi You was not ashamed. N¨¦e Liu showed a gratified smile.

 Chapter 88.1 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [1]

    <h4>Chapter 88.1 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [1]</h4>

    N¨¦e Liu knew that when someone used to look at Zi You before, Zi You would lower her head in embarrassment and be afraid to look at people. She was afraid that people would talk about her alien facial traits.

    Now seeing Zi You not caring about that in Duke Anguo fu, N¨¦e Liu put down her heart.

    Knowing that Zi You no longer felt inferior about her identity or her appearance, N¨¦e Liu let go of her worries.

    Of course Zi You felt the noble gongzis and xiaojies looking at her with eyes of amazement, jealousy, envy, infatuation, and resentment.

    It was just that after her previous life¡¯s tragic experiences, her mentality was like a pool of dead water, with not even a ripple.

    It was like that famous poem: ¡°Enemy troops besieged, I stand motionless.¡±

    She still didn¡¯t know whether the people in front of her right now were enemies. But she would never lightly treat someone as a friend again.

    Actually, her eyes had been looking at these people too. Her eyes measured who had kind gazes and who had malicious gazes.

    This lifetime, she would not foolishly confuse enemies with friends.

    Zi You was so eye-catching that of course she drew the envy of the noble xiaojies. Five or six of them sitting in the pavilion immediately started to disparage her.

 Chapter 88.2 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [1]

    <h4>Chapter 88.2 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [1]</h4>

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    One of them was Fourth Gongzhu [princess, usually daughter of the Emperor] Shangguan Lingluo, whom the Emperor doted on. One was Third Wangzi¡¯s fianc¨¦e Wen Chuyan. One was the Yu Meilian who wasughed at by An Wang Shizi. One was the Minister of Appointments¡¯ Di granddaughter Ke Yuner. Shen Biqian was a cab minister¡¯s youngest daughter. And thest one was Yu Meilian¡¯s Shu sister, Yu Lanxuan, Zi You¡¯s enemy from her previous life.

    Although Shen Biqian was a Shu daughter, she was born from the cab minister¡¯s most favored concubine. Because she was beautiful and cute, she was valued by the minister. To show off his generosity to his officials, the Emperor called Shen Biqian in to be Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s study partner.

    She was called a study partner, but was actually a high-ranking servant and ymate. Fourth Gongzhu originally had a bad temper. She frequently scolded and abused Shen Biqian. This little yatou seemed to respect her on the surface, but hated her to death in her heart.

    Now let¡¯s talk about this Yu Lanxuan. Originally, her Di mother, N¨¦e Lu, would never bring her to such a gathering. Butst night, her minister husband for some reason went to Sixth Yiniang Wang Yaping, whom he had not slept with for half a year.

    Wang Yaping gave it her all and the minister was veryfortable. The reward was for Yu Meilian to bring her younger sister to this gathering.

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    Although Yu Lanxuan was not old, just three months older than Zi You, her thoughts were already deep. Along with her actress grandmother and Aunt Wang Yiping, she belonged to the malicious category.

    When she heard her Di sister and other xiaojies deride Zi You, she was silent with an appropriate smile on her face, like a harmless little white flower. But her heart was pondering how she could tell these people¡¯s words to Mu Zi You and get her angry. Then she would urge Fourth Gongzhu to make trouble for Zi You. The two parties would fight. That would be wonderful.

    Just then her Di sister, Yu Meilian said, ¡°What¡¯s so great about her?! She looks like an alluring demon. You guys didn¡¯t see. That day in Duke Yongnan fu, her eyes sometimes appeared to be purple. It¡¯s so strange and so scary!¡±

    The little yatou went along with her sister¡¯s words. With a sweet smile on her voice, she said coyly, ¡°But maybe that¡¯s exactly why people look at her? Isn¡¯t there a saying that the rarer something is, the greater its value? Fourth Gongzhu is very beautiful, but the wangzis see Gongzhu everyday in the Pce. But this jiejie rarely shows her face. It is normal that people look at her more. This jiejie is indeed very beautiful!¡±

 Chapter 88.3

    <h4>Chapter 88.3</h4>

    Shangguan Lingluo was already extremely jealous that her limelight was suppressed by Zi You and her Taizi gege¡¯s eyes were staring at Zi You. Now that the mes were fanned by Yu Lanxuan, her anger burned more fiercely.

    She turned her head and fiercely red at Yu Lanxuan. She gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°Is she more beautiful than Bengong [literally: this pce, how the female royal families (with own pces) refer to themselves]?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan pretended to be afraid and hesitantly shook her head.

    She wasn¡¯t that kind. She did that so that Fourth Gongzhu would hate Zi You even more. At one nce, one would think that Yu Lanxuan was afraid of her Gongzhu identity and forced to shake her head.

    Mu Zi You was indeed more beautiful than her. How could Fourth Gongzhu bear it?

    Fourth Gongzhu turned around and she revealed a malevolent expression. She suddenly pointed to Yu Lanxuan. ¡°You go stay by Mu Zi You¡¯s side. Don¡¯t stay by Bengong¡¯s side.¡±

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    Yu Lanxuan previously had no way to incite Zi You. She heard these words and was overjoyed.

    But she deliberately looked fawningly at Shangguan Lingluo. She shook her head, ¡°Nubi is Gongzhu¡¯s servant. If dead, nubi will still be Gongzhu¡¯s ghost. Nubi will never betray Gongzhu.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo revealed acent smile. She told Yu Lanxuan, ¡°En. You are smart. Find a way to get close to Mu Zi You. Ask her what her talents are and what she¡¯s the mostcking in. Bengong will have her humiliated and disgraced. Go cuikly. If you perform well, Bengong will reward you heavily.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan immediately curtsied and went towards Zi You.

    At this time, Zi You was conversing with Liu Ruixue, Xia Ruoqing, and Ji Bingyu. She saw Yu Lanxuane over smilingly and curtsied. ¡°Paying respects to four jiejies. Nubi is called Yu Lanxuan.¡±

 Chapter 88.4

    <h4>Chapter 88.4</h4>

    Yu Lanxuan? Zi You took a look. Yes, this was the evil woman who should be in hell. Like Wang Yiping, she had a pair of single-lidded phoenix eyes, sharp chin, small cherry mouth, and thin lips. She looked like a vixen. She always had on ttering smiles that were 30% false.

    It was only that in her past life, Zi You saw Yu Lanxuan in Mu YingRui¡¯s circle.

    After Mu YingRui returned from his task, Wang Yiping personally introduced Yu Lanxuan to Zi You.

    Meeting an enemy, one¡¯s eyes turned red in rage. Zi You hated that she couldn¡¯t tear apart this treacherous and vicious slut. But thinking of her n for revenge, Zi You kept a small, sweet smile on her face. She quietly looked at this little yatou who was even shorter than herself and smiled, without saying a word.

    Liu Ruixue was also not too fond of this falsely-smiling little guniang. She looked at her, half-curtsied, and asked faintly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you with your sister? Aren¡¯t you Yu Xiaojie¡¯s little sister?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s single-lidded phoenix eyes be misty with tears. Her originally harsh features became a lot frailer. ¡°Gongzhu refuses to let Xuan¡¯er [how she refers to herself] be with them. She threw me out.¡±

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    ¡°Why?¡± The straightforward Ji Bingyu asked. She looked at Yu Lanxuan full of sympathy.

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s heart was secretly proud, but her face was indignant. She pointed to Zi You and spoke lowly, very aggrieved, ¡°Because I said this jiejie looks very pretty, Fourth Gongzhu got angry. She told me, ¡®Since you like her, then go to her. Don¡¯t stay here.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what I said wrong. This jiejie is really very beautiful. Why wouldn¡¯t she let people say it?¡±

    Liu Ruixue, Ji Bingyu, and Xia Ruoqing looked at Yu Lanxuan with pity. They were almost deceived by her.

    If Zi You did not know her true face, she was afraid she would be deceived too.

    But she had already died once. She understood Yu Lanxuan¡¯s true nature all too well. So she had anguid smile on her face while looking at the seemingly harmless little white flower. Until Yu Lanxuan felt uneasy and did not dare to look her in the eyes, did Zi You slowly said, ¡°Such a silly little yatou. Offending the Gongzhu because of me; it¡¯s really not worth it.¡±

 Chapter 88.5

    <h4>Chapter 88.5</h4>

    Yu Lanxuan hurriedly shook her head, ¡°No, I like jiejie. I rather be friends with jiejie.¡±

    ¡°Then you can y with us from now on.¡± Zi You had not replied, but Ji Bingyu rushed to answer.

    Zi You thought of her n for revenge and also smiled and nodded. ¡°Wee, Lanxuan.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan pretended to look tered. She went over to Zi You¡¯s side and said, ¡°Jiejie, they keep calling you a mixed breed. What is a mixed breed?¡±

    Xia Ruoqing, Ji Bingyu, and Liu Ruixue¡¯s faces changed. They all looked at Zi You with concern.

    Zi You looked at the hidden ridicule in Yu Lanxuan¡¯s eyes and her foolish expression and knew that Yu Lanxuan was deliberately scolding her. She also wanted to provoke Zi You and Fourth Gongzhu into disagreement.

    Therefore, without anger, she calmy said, ¡°I also don¡¯t know. You should go back and ask your yiniang. The adults should understand, right? I only know that my mother was born to Indian and Great Yan parents. My father is a Great Yan citizen. If they call me a mixed breed because of that... Aiyah! Then aren¡¯t they scolding the previous Emperor? The previous Emperor¡¯s mother was Nanjiang Dali¡¯s Gongzhu.¡±

    Zi You saw Yu Lanxuan¡¯s face turned white and her heart was happy. Wench! You tried to make me angry and provoke me and Fourth Gongzhu into fighting so you could sit back and take advantage. I don¡¯t think so.

    This Xiaojie is not the previous life¡¯s Mu Zi You. Only I can harm people. People won¡¯t harm me.

    Yu Lanxuan saw that Zi You was not fooled and panicked. Actually, Fourth Gongzhu did not scold Zi You as a mixed breed. Because the previous Emperor¡¯s mother was from a different tribe, the most taboo words were ¡°mixed breed¡± for the previous and current Emperor. When the previous Emperor was alive, he once executed lots of people for that crime. As a member of the imperial family, how could Fourth Gongzhu not know that this was an imperial taboo?

 Chapter 88.6

    <h4>Chapter 88.6</h4>

    Yu Lanxuan deliberately insulted Zi You to make trouble. She did not expect for Zi You to turn the tables. She was scared until her face turned white. She quickly shut her mouth and didn¡¯t dare to sow any more dissension. On the contrary, sheforted Zi You, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, jiejie. Don¡¯t bother with them. Forget it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let it go,¡± Zi You coldy said. ¡°I will tell this matter to grandfather. He¡¯ll make this matter known to the Emperor. It must be investigated. At that time, meimei must testify.¡±

    Zi You deliberately acted like she was furious and that she wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest. She looked at Yu Lanxuan.

    Yu Lanxuan was terrified. She suddenly fell to her knees and knelt in front of Zi You. She lowly cried, ¡°Please don¡¯t, jiejie! It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken nonsense. Jiejie, please don¡¯t tell Old General Mu. Spare Xuan¡¯er¡¯s family!¡±

    Zi You pretended to not understand. ¡°What does it have to do with you? You didn¡¯t say those words right? Even if the Emperor hands down punishment, it has nothing to do with you. So why would your family need to be spared?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan kowtowed like pounding garlic. Her tears flowed. ¡°But if they don¡¯t admit it, who can prove it? They would be sure to me me then. Since I spoke of the matter first, then wouldn¡¯t the unlucky one be me?¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Zi You pretended to suddenly realized. ¡°Let¡¯s forget it this time then. Huh! If there¡¯s a next time, I will definitely tell grandfather and seek justice.¡±

    The unlucky Yu Lanxuan tried to steal a chicken, but ended up losing the rice to lure it with. Only when her little head was bleeding did Zi You finally let her off.

 Chapter 88.7

    <h4>Chapter 88.7</h4>

    At this point, the other three xiaojies sensed a problem. Actually, which one of these noble xiaojies was truly innocent? If she was na?ve, it was good that her parents protected her at home. But once she married and met such vicious women like Yu Lanxuan, even one or two of the women would be enough to make the xiaojie die without a full skeleton. She wouldn¡¯t even know how she died.

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s actions made them have a different opinion of her character. When they met herter, they wouldn¡¯t treat her as a friend.

    Liu Ruixue even warned Zi You to not associate with Yu Lanxuan. Yu Lanxuan was not a simple character.

    This episode made Yu Lanxuan unable toplete Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s task. She thickened her face and asked questions for a long time. What was everyone talented in? What was everyone untalented in? No one told her anything.

    Only Zi You straightforwardly told her, ¡°Other than medical skills, I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan immediately pretended she needed the bathroom and told this information to Fourth Gongzhu with difficulty.

    So after the banquet, the gongzis and xiaojies who were gathered in groups heard Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s older brother Fourth Wangzi Shangguan Botao loudly proposed, ¡°Gongzis and xiaojies, for this gathering, what if wepose poems and paintings? The gongzis willpose poems. The xiaojies willpose paintings from these poems ording to the poem¡¯s meaning. If the xiaojie seeds, then the gongzi will do one thing for her. If the xiaojie¡¯s painting is not simr to the peom¡¯s meaning, then she will do one thing for the xiaojie. How is Benwangzi¡¯s [literally: this wangzi (prince), how wangzis refer to themselves] suggestion?¡±

    Then he said to Liu Ruixue, ¡°Little saozi [sister-inw, because she is Taizi¡¯s future consort], you are the host. Can you please prepare the brush, ink, and paper?¡±

    It should be exined that Great Yan was quite open-minded. Although males and females could not attend school together like the Tang Dynasty, the high society gongzis and xioajies used social gatherings to form good feelings.

 Chapter 88.8

    <h4>Chapter 88.8</h4>

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    Shangguan Botao couldn¡¯t stand his sister¡¯s and her friends¡¯ threats and shamelessness. He could only promise them that he would take care of Zi You.

    In fact, Shangguan Botao did not want to provoke Mu Zi You. When she gracefully walked in earlier, he thought a fairy descended from the heavens. He was stunned for a long time.

    So while this wangzi promised to make things difficult for Zi You, he was thinking he had to seize an opportunity to help her and not make her sad.

    In fact, for him, even if Zi You was a straw-bag [idiot] and didn¡¯t know anything, she was so beautiful. Why did she need talents? Her umon appearance alone was enough!

    Zi You knew this was Fourth Gongzhu and the other xiaojies¡¯ n to humiliate her.

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    These people believed the false information that Yu Lanxuan gave them and really thought that she didn¡¯t have any talents.

    The previous life¡¯s Zi You was a fool. She believed in Wang Yiping¡¯s words that ¡°a woman¡¯s virtue is to have no talent.¡± If she didn¡¯t read ¡°Female Virtues¡± and ¡°Female Discipline¡± all day, then she was copying scriptires. So she didn¡¯t know the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting. Otherwise, Zi You wouldn¡¯t have lost out to Yu Lanxuan who hooked Zhao HongXiang with two lousy poems.

    This lifetime, in order not to lose face for her mother and improve herself, she didn¡¯t put less effort in a variety of skills than what she put in medicine and martial arts. It was just that she didn¡¯t tell anyone else except grandfather, uncle, and aunt.

    Zi Youzily sat on a chair in the pavilion. She looked at the people with slight ridicule. She busied herself with the brush, ink, and paper. She finally turned around and stopped looking at them. She leisurely drank tea and teased the koi fish in the pond.

 Chapter 88.9

    <h4>Chapter 88.9</h4>

    As she was ying happily, she heard Yu Lanxuan¡¯s childish voice that gave people goosebumps ring out behind her. ¡°Jiejie, aren¡¯t you participating in thepetition? If you win, you can participate in Taizi fu¡¯s banquet. You can see the Emperor then.¡±

    Zi You slowly turned around and looked at Yu Lanxuan¡¯s fawning smile. Shezily shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind telling you. What do I have topete with?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s eyes showed disappointment. Her words were a trap for Zi You. If Zi You said that she didn¡¯t want to participate in thepetition, it was tantamount to saying she didn¡¯t want to see the Emperor.

    At this time, Fourth Gongzhu showed up intending to make things difficult for Zi You.

    However, Zi You saw through Yu Lanxuan¡¯s trick. She wasn¡¯t fooled and did not answer the way they wanted her to.

    Fourth Gongzhu was angry. She suddenly loudlyughed. ¡°Ah! Are you serious? You really don¡¯t know anything? Tch... Even if you came from a military family and put martial arts first, you can¡¯t not know how to do anything right? Is it because your mother was a vulgar southern barbarian tribeswoman and didn¡¯t know anything so she couldn¡¯t teach you?¡±

    In Jingdu, the southern barbarians were synonomous with barbarism, ignorance, vulgarity, coarseness, and lowliness.

    Shangguan Lingluo saying that about Dier was tantamount to insulting Dier.

    Zi You¡¯s anger rose to the extreme. Seeking death! You actually dared to insult my mother. If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson, I won¡¯t be from a military family.

    Her anger turned toughter. She revealed a smile simr to hundreds of flowers blooming and said extremely charmingly, ¡°Chennu¡¯s [ literally: ¡°this official¡¯s daughter, used in speaking to royalty] mother is the child of Indian royalty and a Great Yan citizen. Even if Gongzhu studies her whole life, Gongzhu cannot touch the tip of the iceberg of my mother¡¯s talents. Not convinced? Let Gongzhupete with Chennu. If Gongzhu loses, Gongzhu must apologize to Chennu!¡±

 Chapter 89.1 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]

    <h4>Chapter 89.1 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]</h4>

    Yu Lanxuan smiledcently to herself. Her small awl-like face looked at Zi You full of worry. She begged softly, ¡°Don¡¯t, jiejie! Apologize to Gongzhu. It will be unlucky for you to anger her.¡±

    Zi You looked at her mockingly. She coldly said, ¡°How did your mother raise such a cowardly and unfilial daughter like you? Your mother is insulted and you apologize to her? Hah!¡±

    Zi You then went from the pavilion to stand in front of Shangguan Lingluo. She clearly enunciated, ¡°So what if it¡¯s a gongzhu? A gongzhu can casually insult someone¡¯s mother for no reason? Mu Zi You may be an official¡¯s daughter with no title and no power but Mu Zi You will not let her mother be insulted and cower under someone¡¯s authority. A gentleman can be killed, but not dishonored! Although Mu Zi You may not have 1/10,000th of her mother¡¯s talents, but if she cowardly retreats today, then she is descended from a military family in vain. Fourth Gongzhu, what do you want topete in? Bring it on. If I, Mu Zi You, flinch even a tiny bit, then I am a coward!¡±

    Dignity must be defended and her mother should be not insulted! The person in front of her was a gongzhu but even if it was the Emperor, Zi You would not be fearful and cowardly.

    As a descendant of a military family, if she wasn¡¯t brave, then could she be counted as a solder¡¯s daughter? On the battlefield in the future, she would only be a cowardly deserter.

    Her previous life¡¯s tolerance and weakness were exchanged for betrayal and humiliation.

    In this lifetime, no one should think that she would lower her noble head!

 Chapter 89.2

    <h4>Chapter 89.2</h4>

    With Zi You¡¯s words, the gongzis and xiaojies in the garden looked stunned.

    The cold pride and unyielding spirit her tiny body emitted made everyone feel respect.

    In this moment, everyone forgot that Zi You was only a twelve-year-old girl. In this moment, she was like a bright star in a dark sky: shiny and dazzling. No one counld touch her.

    Even Shangguan LingRan felt that his hard-as-iron heart cracked a little bit. The sound of the crack was so soft that only he heard it.

    What an upright girl! He originally thought she only knew how to sneakily trick people. He didn¡¯t think that in the face of authority, she would have a man¡¯s unshakeable spirit.

    Taizi, Third Wangzi, and Second Wangzi were also impressed.

    Taizi and Third Wangzi were especially affected. If they were slightly stunned by Zi You¡¯s outstanding appearance, then at this moment, their interest in Zi You was not only for her appearance.

    It was difficult for such a woman to not be noticed and not impress. After all, she was not afraid of imperial authority and death. Not to mention women, but there were few men who were like this.

    Regarding Second Wangzi, this was Zi You¡¯s first time seeing him. He was more handsome than Taizi and Third Wangzi. But it was a pity that he was in a wheelchair. He was crippled.

    So when Zi You first came in, her eyes swept over him once. They did not contain contempt, sympathy, or pity, but a trace of breathtaking beauty.

    This nce made Second Wangzi Shangguan Boyu deeply remember her.

    Speaking of which, Second Wangzi Shangguan Boyu was quite pitiful.

 Chapter 89.3

    <h4>Chapter 89.3</h4>

    Loving the house meant loving the crow inside the house. Therefore, the Emperor also loved the Second Wangzi born from De Fei.

    De Fei¡¯s father was the Chief Left Imperial Censor: Lu Wenzhi. Imperial Censor Lu was upstanding, honest, and very loyal to the Emperor. The Emperor also thought highly of him.

    When De Fei was pregnant, she was repeatedly poisoned. She gave birth to Second Wangzi with great difficulties.

    When Second Wangzi was born, he was a healthy child. But when he was twelve years old and hunting with the Emperor, his horse was startled. He fell off the horse, injured his lumbar vertebra, and became a paraplegic.

    The Emperor executed the people who managed the horse. But the real mastermind was still not found.

    Second Wangzi was originally a sunny, cheerful boy, very clever and cute. But after the ident, he gradually became silent and gloomy. His temper was peevish and violent.

    He did not socialize with anyone. If he was slightly unhappy, he would beat and kill servants. He gradually lost his Fuwang¡¯s love.

    Unless there was a major festival or banquet, he would never show up.

    He was only here today because Duke Anguo fu was the Empress Dowager¡¯s maiden family.

    And the Empress Dowager was the only one besides his mother and grandfather Imperial Censor Lu who cares about him.

    Zi You¡¯s words made him very satisfied. It was because Shangguan Lingluo never put him, her brother, in her eyes. She always secretly called him ¡°damned rubbish.¡±

    He clenched his fists tightly. He hoped that Zi You would win against and make a fool out of Shangguan Lingluo.

    Fourth Gongzhu was angered until she almost fainted. Since childhood, no matter who she insulted, no one had ever embarrassed her in public.

    She was not afraid ofpeting, but being forced topete made her extremely displeased.

    If shepeted, she lost face. If she didn¡¯tpete, she lost even more face. If she lost, her face would be thrown!

    Looking at the current situation, if she didn¡¯tpete, Mu Zi You would certainly not spare her. Only if shepeted and won would she regain her dignity.

 Chapter 89.4

    <h4>Chapter 89.4</h4>

    Shangguan Lingluo shouted, ¡°Let¡¯spete then! You think Bengong is scared of you? If Bengong wins, you must kneel and crawl like a dog below Bengong¡¯s legs.¡±

    The original charming little guniang, due to her ferocious face and hands on her hips, was uglier than even a market shrew.

    Zi Youzily and confidently smiled. ¡°Okay, if Chennu loses, Chennu will be at the disposal of Gongzhu. If Chennu wins, Gongzhu must keep her word and apologize to Chennu publicly. Which gongzi or xiaojie here is willing to bear witness?¡±

    Her beautiful dark purple eyes blinked. Her charming smile on her charming face was like a gleaming reflection of the sun, capable of hooking someone¡¯s soul.

    Zhao HongXiang was also here. He was scared into a cold sweat by Zi You¡¯s words. When she looked over, he quickly lowered his head. Then he hid behind the back of the person who came with him: Ministry of Works official¡¯s son, Wu Simao.

    Zi You saw him. She secretly scolded, ¡°Coward!¡±

    Second Wangzi in his wheelchair gloomily said, ¡°I¡¯ll be the witness.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo saw that even the damned cripple was willing to bear witness for Mu Zi You. Her anger burst forward and she scolded, ¡°Mind your own business, damned cripple!¡±

    Zi You coldly ridiculed, ¡°A paralyzed body is nothing to be afraid of. The scariest thing is a twisted soul. A paralysis of the brain is more frightening than paralysis of the body.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan revealed a charmingly evil smile. He went to the middle of the garden andzily said, ¡°Mu Zi You, don¡¯t be too aggressive. Compete then. A verbal agreement means nothing. Let¡¯s put it down on paper. This Shizi has...¡±

    He tore and pulled and with difficulty obtained a piece of cloth from his silvery white brocade robe. He went in front of Shangguan Lingluo. Hezily and evillyughed. ¡°Fourth meimei, quickly write the bet down. If she wants to renege, she won¡¯t be able to.¡±

 Chapter 89.5 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]

    <h4>Chapter 89.5 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]</h4>

    He picked up Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s right hand. Like magic, he pulled out a gemstone-studded and decorative small knife. He used the dagger to cut Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s right index finger.

    The de was blunt. It went across Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s finger multiple times, causing her to desperately scream and cry in pain before finally drawing blood.

    Shangguan LingRan ignored her. As he was squeezing blood out, he said deviously, ¡°Really, fourth meimei? You are a gongzhu and you can¡¯t evenpare to a chennu? Isn¡¯t it just two drops of blood? It¡¯s to write down the bet. No matter who lost, she can¡¯t renege. Or are you afraid to lose, fourth meimei? Don¡¯t lose the imperial family¡¯s face! The imperial family cannot afford to lose to that person. Fourth meimei, you have to be brave. Gege will cheer for you. You must not lose to that tigress from a so-called military family.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo was in so much pain she broke out in a cold sweat. She wanted to break free, but had no way to pull her right arm away from Shangguan LingRan¡¯s grasp. She angrily and loudly scolded, ¡°It¡¯s paining to death! Shangguan LingRan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Writing what blood letter? You idiot!¡±

    Shangguan LingRanpletely ignored her. He held her bleeding hand and wrote on his torn-off satin. ¡°I, Shangguan Lingluo, voluntarilypete with Mu Zi You in various forms of talents. If I lose, I will apologize to Mu Zi You. If I win, Mu Zi You is willing to be at the mercy of Fourth Gongzhu.¡±

    After he finished writing, he pressed Shagguang Lingluo¡¯s fingerprints against the satin. Then he threw the satin to Zi You. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s your turn to write now...¡±

    He looked around and finally said to Taizi, ¡°Taizi is here. Since fourth meimei doesn¡¯t want her second brother to bear witness, why don¡¯t Taizi work a bit and bear witness?¡±

    He devilishly and charmingly smiled at Taizi Shangguan Pengxuan. ¡°I wonder if Taizi gege is willing to shed two drops of blood for Lingluo meimei?¡±

    Taizi was like a gentleman. He calmly and gently smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no problem. Once Mu Xiaojie finishes, this Taizi will bear witness.¡±

 Chapter 89.6 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]

    <h4>Chapter 89.6 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]</h4>

    Zi You looked at Taizi. He was wearing a bright yellow long robe, with a golden dragon and blue pattern. His ck hair was gathered in a gold-iid crown. His slender body stood straight. His handsome face revealed his inherent nobility and elegance. Although he was not as heaven-defying as that dandy, he could still be considered a handsome man.

    Taizi saw her look over. He slightly smiled and nodded.

    Zi You was beautiful but cold as ice. She waved her hand. Then she took off a hairpin from her hair. Her face didn¡¯t change as she directed it towards her fingertips. She didn¡¯t even frown.

    Blood gushed out from her finger. She wrote flowingly on the satin. Then she had ShiYun hand it to the Taizi.

    Taizi took a look and was secretly startled. The little yatou¡¯s writing was like geese flying. Her bold and vigorous calligraphy concealed a strong sense of character. It would not lose out to most men.

    Shangguan Lingluopletely did not expect that a dignified gongzhu, because of a cheap mouth, would be embarrassed and put on the spot by an official¡¯s daughter.

    Even if she won thepetition, Mu Zi You would still not be afraid of her. One could think that even if Mu Zi You was defeated trying to defend her mother¡¯s honor, she would be considered honorable in defeat!

    But she herself must win and could only win. Otherwise, she need not ever leave the Pce again and have othersugh at her.

    Shangguan Lingluo was so angry her liver hurt. Even her face was distorted. She said fiercely, ¡°One round each in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and dance. Winner wins three out of five rounds. Help from outsiders and substitutions are not allowed.¡±

    Even till now Shangguan Lingluo didn¡¯t think she was trying to win by luck. Yu Lanxuan told her that Mu Zi You didn¡¯t know anything or have any talents. So there was no need to be afraid of her. Could a dignified gongzhu like her, who practiced and learned these skills since childhood, lose to a vulgar descendant from a military family?

 Chapter 89.7 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]

    <h4>Chapter 89.7 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]</h4>

    A devilishly enchanting smile appeared on Zi You¡¯s face again. She mocked, ¡°Who will be the judge? You are a gongzhu. Who would dare to judge that you lost? So, for fairness, let the judge be animals. When ying chess, a game is obviously won or lost. No one can deny the results. When ying the zither, let¡¯s see who can entice the birds over. The person who attracts the most birds over wins. When ites to calligraphy and painting, chrysanthem in autumn will obviously be the subject. Whoever can bring butterflies over will be the winner. The same with song and dance. Whoever can have the birds singing and butterflies dancing, Mu Zi You is willing to be at her disposal.¡±

    Zi You wanted to try out her spiritual power. She wanted to see if she could use it with a change of environment and in front of people. She sang and danced in her own Hundred Herb Garden. If she used spiritual power, she could attract some little birds and butterflies.

    Shangguan LingRan jumped out again. He revealed a devilishly charming smile. ¡°This is a good idea. Or you would say my fourth meimei is cheating if she wins.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo looked at Shagguan LingRan. She almost spat out blood in anger. Good my a*s! Who actually has the ability to attract birds and butterflies? Wouldn¡¯t that be an immortal? What was this cheap yatou thinking? She actually came up with such a terrible idea? Bengong doesn¡¯t believe that you have this ability. Aren¡¯t you just trying to scare me?

    Shangguan Lingluo was both rmed and filled with hatred. Her gaze at Taizi was filled with pleading. Taizi gege, you must not agree to this cheap yatou¡¯s proposal!

 Chapter 89.8 Donâ€™t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]

    <h4>Chapter 89.8 Don¡¯t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! [2]</h4>

    The first round was chess. Shangguan Lingluo suggested the first round to be chess because her chess skills were personally taught by Taizi. Even the Emperor was full of praise for Taizi¡¯s chess skills.

    But once she yed with Zi You, Shangguan Lingluo quickly lost the intiative. She was forced to retreat by Zi You and could only resist, but not fight back.

    Zi You looked at Shangguan Lingluo wrinkling her forehead, Shangguan LingRan scratching his head, and Taizi deeply frowning. She secretly sneered.

    No matter how good your chess skills are, they¡¯re just good on paper. But I learned mine from grandfather. I not only used military tactics but practiced them with uncle and the ves. Although I cannot fight on the battlefield, but my skills are still better than yours that have no realbat experience, right?

    Sure enough, before a quarter of an hourter, Shangguan Lingluo lost all her pieces and was utterly defeated.

    This was something the arrogant gongzhu did not expect. Her powdered face turned from white to red. Her almond eyes seemed to be able to spray fire.

    The oue had been decided. Those who knew chess could tell that the ck pieces were surrounded to death by the white pieces.

    Shangguan Lingluo could only gnash her teeth. ¡°The second round is calligraphy. Bengong does not believe that Bengong will lose this.¡±

    Taizi stepped out to say, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯sbine this round with poetry. You each write a qilu [verse form of eight lines of seven sybles, with rhymes on alternative lines] about autumn. This Taizi will judge. Mu Xiaojie wouldn¡¯t not trust this Taizi, right?¡±

    I really don¡¯t trust you. Just looking at Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s unruliness and willfulness, no one can rest assured with your personal integrity.

    But if you want to be biased in public and damage your own reputation, then it¡¯s not my problem.

    Zi You was inwardly two-faced, but nodded on the outside. ¡°Chennu believes that Taizi will be an impartial judge.¡±a

 Chapter 89.9

    <h4>Chapter 89.9</h4>

    Shangguan Lingluo was secretly happy. Last night, Taizi gege gave her a weing autumn qilu. This was Taizi gege helping her win.

    Shangguan Lingluo shyly looked once at Taizi. She leaned down and unhurriedly wrote. When she finished she saw Zi You still fighting with the brush. She smiled proudly.

    If Bengong loses this round to you, then Bengong doesn¡¯t need to live anymore.

    Fifteen minutester, Zi You finished writing.

    Someone immediately handed their scrolls to Taizi. Taizi read and was immediately stunned. Zi You¡¯s calligraphic style was the extremely difficult and now lost Plum Blossom Seal Script.

    Putting aside her poetry,pared to Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s Zanhua Regr Script, just Zi You¡¯s calligraphy alone won hands down.

    Plum Blossom Seal Script¡¯s underlying foundation on paper was to naturally embed plum blossoms within the characters. One nce would seem like the characters were flying. Another nce would seem like plum blossoms were blooming. Seal script was originally very difficult to read. Adding plum blossom embellishment to it made it even more difficult to read, thereby increasing its sense of mysteriousness.

    Plum Blossom Seal Script was not simple ¡°calligraphy.¡± It was strict in its usage of ¡°Lift the brush against the wind, use the brush with the wind, and retrieve the brush around the wind.¡±

    The ancients loved beauty, even in writing. The Plum Blossom Seal Script was created for that purpose, with its meaningful cultural significance. ¡°Flowers from a distance, words from nearby, flowers contain words, words contain flowers, flowers and words are one, words are bold and vigorous.¡± The words and plum blossoms were ingeniously melded together. Plum Blossom Seal Script was the epitome of the country¡¯s ancient calligraphy.

    Taizi actually could not read all of what Zi You wrote. But he could not admit that he couldn¡¯t recognize the characters. Therefore, he pretended to consider for a long time. He sighed, ¡°Ai... this is hard for this Taizi to judge. In regards to calligraphy, Mu Xiaojie¡¯s is more exquisite than fourth meimei¡¯s. But fourth meimei only used one-third of Mu Xiaojie¡¯s time to create a weing autumn qilu. If fourth meimei lost, there would be some injustice? Ai...¡±

 Chapter 90 Part 1/9 Butterflies Fly and Birds Chirp

    <h4>Chapter 90 Part 1/9 Butterflies Fly and Birds Chirp</h4>

    He shook his head and seemed as if he was in a tough spot. He kept looking at Zi You, trying to gauge her reaction.

    Shangguan LingRan grabbed the two scrolls. He loudly said, ¡°Of course fourth meimei won. I can¡¯t even read what Mu Xiaojie wrote. Taizi, can you read it?¡±

    Read your a*s! But I can¡¯t say that I can¡¯t read it! You think everyone¡¯s a fool like you and unafraid of beingughed at?!

    Taizi red resentfully at Shangguan LingRan and did not speak.

    Zi You secretly smiled. She loudly said, ¡°Just conclude that I lost this round. There are three more rounds remaining. Don¡¯t be embarrassed, Taizi. Let the heavens decide.¡±

    Taizi gently nodded. ¡°Good. Mu Xiaojie is indeed a descendant from a military family: very straightforward. Then the second round is won by Fourth Gongzhu. The next round is to create a chrysanthemum painting. Whether the chrysanthemum can attract butterflies, it depends on you two.¡±

    Zi You waved the brush and ink. Soon, a painting of chrysanthemums appeared. But no one noticed that beore the ink dried, she secretly poured some specially-made pollen underneath her brush on top of the chrysanthemums. Then she quietly put her brush down and waited.

    At this time, Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s painting was notpleted. Everyone was looking at the gongzhu and did not notice that Zi You¡¯s eyes turned a mysterious and enchanting deep purple color again. After a while, colorful butterflies flew towards her and stopped at her body and the chrysanthemum painting.

    When the butterflies flew over, Zi You felt a burst of ecstasy. It seemed like her spiritual power could summon insects and small animals. It was great! She was one step closer to her goddess mother who could summon wind and rain and raise the dead.

    This moment in the garden was indeed extremely beautiful. All sorts of colored and breeds of butterflies flew and surrounded a stunning woman. Some evennded on Zi You¡¯s body and painting, unwilling to leave.

 Chapter 90.2

    <h4>Chapter 90.2</h4>

    The stunning woman¡¯s face had a rippling smile, like like a blooming peony flower: outstandingly beautiful and overflowing with fragrance.

    Everyone was stunned by this scene until their mouths dropped open. Everyone¡¯s gazes were drawn to Zi You and no one paid attention to Shangguan Lingluo. Their eyes only saw this little standing, proud, and fairylike woman who was surrounded by butterflies.

    Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s painting wasn¡¯t finished but she threw the brush away after seeing this scene. She stamped her feet in anger. ¡°Forget this round. The next round is dance. Bengong doesn¡¯t believe that Bengong will lose to you.¡±

    Her dancing stood out in the imperial family. The Emperor must have her dance during every major holiday. Her Phoenix Dance was famous, so the Emperor conferred to her the name ¡°Great Yan Phoenix.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo had someone rushed back on horseback to retrieve her multicolored dancing costume. The Yu Meilian of the noble xiaojies surrounding her deliberately eximed, ¡°Heavens! Fourth Gongzhu is the real fairy. How can the cheap and lowly southern Mu Zi Youpare?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s actually unwilling to bow her to head to Gongzhu. Gongzhu must teach her a lesson.¡± Yu Lanxuan was scolded by Zi You and was filled with anger. So now she desperately added fuel to the fire with Shangguan Lingluo. She wished that Shangguan Lingluo would be furious and put Zi You to death.

    Shangguan Lingluo was surrounded and ttered by a group of xiaojies. She smiled vainly while putting on makeup. ¡°Just wait. Bengong will definitely not lose to her in dancing and zither. She¡¯s just a cheap southern barbarian¡¯s daughter. It would be strange if she can dance and y the zither.¡±

    As a crowd escorted Shangguan Lingluo out, Zi You was calmly and leisurely standing in the garden. She did not change into a costume or make any preparations.

    Seeing Shangguan Lingluoe out, Zi You secretly sneered. You dared to dishonor my mother? I¡¯ll have you humiliated. If I don¡¯t see you make a fool of yourself, I¡¯m a descendant of a goddess in vain.

    The zither sounded clear like spring water. Shangguan Lingluo started dancing to the music that her Fourth Wangzi gege was ying...

 Chapter 90.3

    <h4>Chapter 90.3</h4>

    To be frank, Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s dancing skills were very high. She was very flexible and her dancing moves were excellent. Zi You took once nce and knew she didn¡¯t put in just a day¡¯s effort.

    In particr, that multicolored phoenix costume enhanced her dance by a lot.

    Shangguan Lingluo looked around the garden and saw that everyone¡¯s gazes were longer on Zi You, but on her. Her heart grew prouder. She started dancing faster. The multicolored phoenix costume turned into the colorful plumage of a phoenix tail. The beauty was dazzling.

    But no one thought that the ident would happen at this time. The belt of the multicolored costume suddenly broke.

    Shangguan Lingluo was still twirling. She identally stepped on the skirt and heard a tearing sound. The skirt tore and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s goose yellow underpants and white calf were clearly exposed to everyone.

    Shangguan Lingluo was stunned silly. This sudden change made her unable to respond. She stood there until her gege Shangguan Botao rushed up. He wrapped her in an overcoat and carried her away.

    The people in the garden started whispering. Zi You¡¯s heart secretly rejoiced. How satisfying!

    You dared to insult my mother? Would I, Mu Zi You, let you off? I said it already. In this lifetime, only I can bully people. I won¡¯t allow people to bully me. Whoever dares to bully me, I will certainly retaliate! I won¡¯t be merciful!

    Today is a small lesson: revealing your underpants. The next time you dare to mess with me, I will reveal your fat buttocks! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re some crappy blue-blooded nobility!

    As Zi You was being a ck belly [outwardly kind, but inwardly evil], she heard someone secretly transmitting a message to her. ¡°Idiot! Don¡¯t use your spiritual power. You¡¯ll be found out.¡±

 Chapter 90.4

    <h4>Chapter 90.4</h4>

    Who? Who found out I used my spiritual power? Who was so kindhearted to warn me? Zi You¡¯s clear purple eyes swept around the garden. She only saw Taizi slightly smiling at her with a gentle expression. Shangguan LingRan fiercely bared his teeth at her. Third Wangzi was standing and Second Wangzi was sitting. Both were deep in thought. After looking everyone over, she did not see who warned her.

    Could it be Taizi? But why would he help me and not his meimei?

    Or was it that dandy? Don¡¯t be fooled by his hooliganism. He must be a profound and enigmatic martial artist. But he was always at loggerheads with me. And Shangguan Lingluo was his tangmei [younger female patrilineal cousin]. He shouldn¡¯t have a reason to help me?

    Moreover, the person who warned her not only had profound martial arts skills, but he must certainly practice other top-secret skills. Otherwise, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have found out that she used spiritual power.

    Then I will give up this round of dancing. I will win against Shangguan Lingluo ying zither and use my spiritual power for thest time.

    Zi You slowly and calmly said, ¡°Although Gongzhu¡¯s costume is torn, her dancing skills are admittedly above Chennu¡¯s. Chennu admits her loss this round. Asking Taizi to proim Gongzhu the winner.¡±

    Everyone was in an uproar. Their eyes looking at her were filled with admiration again. She dared to straightforwardly admit her loss. It was more respectable than those sore losers.

    Shangguan Lingluo was originally crying in shame. But Shangguan LingRan suddenly ran in. Panting and out of breath, he said, ¡°Fourth meimei, quickly go out for the zither round. That smelly yatou Mu Zi You gave up in the dancing round.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s cries came to an abrupt end. She stared in disbelief at Shangguan LingRan. ¡°You¡¯re speaking the truth?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan joyfully nodded. ¡°En, en. She said your skirt tore, but admitted that your dancing skills are stronger than hers. She then gave up. Fourth meimei, work hard. You must win!¡±

 Chapter 90.5

    <h4>Chapter 90.5</h4>

    Shangguan Lingluo normally looked down on Shangguan LingRan. She thought that although he was handsome, he was a dandy and a waste. Compared to Taizi gege¡¯s talents, he was too inferior. But she found out today, that this dandy looked wless. He was handsome than Taizi gege by who-knows-how-many more times.

    Fine. Since he had been helping Bengong today, if Bengong is happy in the future, Bengong will give him a smile.

    Shangguan Lingluo randomly thought. She smiled brightly at Shangguan LingRan. She said sweetly and cutely, ¡°Rest assured, Ling gege. Fourth meimei won¡¯t let you guys down.¡±

    This gongzhu was quite valiant. Just like this, she forgot all about the embarrassing incidentpletely. She changed clothes and put on makeup. Then she went out to prepare for the zither contest.

    Shangguan LingRan secretly sneered, but he had a ttering expression on his face. He strutted out behind Shangguan Lingluo.

    Seeing Shangguan Lingluoe out energetically, many gongzis and xiaojies couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She was indeed a gongzhu from the imperial family. Even her skin was thicker than most noble xiaojies. After such a disgraceful thing happened, she still dared to swagger out. How bold!

    But everyone only dared to sigh and think in their hearts. Outwardly, they still needed to tter her. Let¡¯s hear what Liu Ruixue said. ¡°Gongzhu is really admirable! No arrogance in victory and no despair in defeat. Ruixue really prostrates herself in admiration.¡±

    The next sentence was on the tip of her tongue but swallowed down. ¡°I¡¯m really shocked by your thick skin.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo did not know her reputation had plummeted to the bottom. After vainly walking around the garden, she looked at Zi You. Insufferably arrogant, she asked, ¡°You first or Bengong first?¡±

    Zi You slightly smiled and said, in a neither overbearing nor servile tone, ¡°You are a gongzhu. Of course Gongzhu goes first. If Gongzhu can attract one hundred birds, Zi You will immediately ept her loss and be at Gongzhu¡¯s disposal.¡±

 Chapter 90.6

    <h4>Chapter 90.6</h4>

    Shangguan Lingluo mockingly looked around. ¡°What if neither you nor Bengong can attract one hundred birds?¡±

    Zi You sneered. She replied calmly, ¡°How can we know the results before wepete? Gongzhu should settle her heart and start ying the zither.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo got angry. She red fiercely at Zi You. She swept her skirt and sat down in front of the zither. The beautiful melody of ¡°Lotus Charm¡± immediately spread throughout the garden.

    Shangguan Lingluo had originally yed this song countless times. It could be said that she was very skilled at it. But she could not y her best today because she was distracted. She was hoping one hundred birds would fly over to worship her: the real golden phoenix. So, she yed worse than she usually did.

    Taizi deeply frowned and shook his head imperceptibly. His fourth meimei was really disappointing today. The contest hadn¡¯t even started and she lost her confidence already.

    But that Mu Zi You was really impressive. He didn¡¯t think that she would have this ability at such a young age.

    Taizi wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear if his imperial meimei was ying well or badly. He tuned her out and thought incessantly. The sitting Shangguan Lingluo was like ants on a hot fire, restless, and sweating like rainfall.

    The song was almost at the end. Not to mention one hundred birds, but not even a little sparrow flew over. She cried out. How could she endure this?!

    She was a dignified gongzhu. But today she was embarrassed by a darned yatou two years younger than herself! If she knew earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have suggested apetition. She should have just directly hit her. What could the darned yatou do about it?

    While Shangguan Lingluo was immersed in regrets, the song ended. She forcefully said to Zi You, ¡°Your turn. Bengong doesn¡¯t believe you can attract one hundred birds over. If you can¡¯t, Bengong will tell Fuwang. You¡¯ll be guilty of deceiving the monarch!¡±

 Chapter 90.7

    <h4>Chapter 90.7</h4>

    Zi You slowly walked over to the zither and sat down. She looked at Fourth Gongzhu and coldly said, ¡°Please speak cautiously, Gongzhu. The Emperor is the only monarch of the world. You are also just a subject. Chennu did not deceive the monarch. Please do not arbitrarily ce a crime on Chennu¡¯s head.¡±

    Then, she no longer paid attention to anyone. She reached out her jade-like soft hands and lightly strummed the silver strings. She drew a beautiful curve on top of the zither. ¡°Phoenix Song¡± started ying. Suddenly, the clear sounds like a phoenix¡¯s song resounded.

    Everyone only saw jade-like slender fingers moved at times slowly and at times rapidly. They were like a butterfly dancing on top of the zither. Apanying the music, Zi You¡¯s soothing voice started singing. ¡°The phoenix dances, rises and falls; the phoenix sings, solemnly and tragically; the phoenix dances again; the phoenix sings again; a flock of ordinary birds fly over from the sky...¡±

    A voice like kingfishers ying in the water and yellow warblers singing spread throughout. The beautiful singing voice had everyone mesmerized and little animals emerging from their nests.

    Gradually, with the sounds of her zither and singing, all kinds of birds flew over to the garden. There were sparrows, magpies, thrushes, swallows, parrots, and finally, two peacocks: one white and one green.

    Everyone was shocked. They looked at Zi You as if they saw a fairy descended from the nine heavens. They started discussing in liveliness.

    ¡°Heavens! I¡¯ve only heard about such a thing. I thought it was made up. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true. She looks so beautiful. Can she really be a fairy descended to the mortal world?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I thought it was strange when the butterflynded on her earlier. Now it¡¯s even more shocking. A peacock! Isn¡¯t a peacock a phoenix?¡±

    ¡°Mother! Can you pinch me? Am I seeing things? Did she really bring one hundred birds over?¡±

    At this moment, the garden really had one hundred birds chirping. All kinds of birds flew over Zi You and chirped in pleasant sounds. Some were flying next to her, incessantly chirping at her.

 Chapter 90.8

    <h4>Chapter 90.8</h4>

    This strange scene in the garden had not only the gongzis, but the xiaojies madly and crazily crowding each other to watch Zi You. Even a lot of adults were alerted and starteding to the garden.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were also alerted. The two took a look and knew what was going on. You¡¯er used her spiritual power.

    The two were startled and scared. The looked at each other and rushed to separate the crowd of people.

    At this time, Zi You¡¯s song ended. She slowly stood up with anguid smile. She looked at the little birds flying around her and her smile grew wider into an outstandingly beautiful peony flower: charming and striking.

    Old General Mu looked anxiously at her. His tiger eyes looked around and he asked softly, ¡°What is it? You¡¯er, did someone bully you?¡±

    Zi You shook her head and smiledfortingly at her grandfather. Then she looked at Shangguan Lingluo and said, in a neither overbearing nor servile tone, ¡°Would Fourth Gongzhu pleaseply with the bet and apologize to Chennu¡¯s mother?¡±

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi immediately understood what was going on.

    Just looking around the garden, they knew that this yatou used her spiritual power. But You¡¯er was not someone who loved being in the limelight. If she was not forced, she wouldn¡¯t easily use her spiritual power.

    Fourth Gongzhu must have said some insulting words about Dier that made You¡¯er angry.

    Old General Mu immediately got angry. He looked at Taizi and asked gloomily, ¡°Taizi, shouldn¡¯t you give this subject an exnation? Why does this subject¡¯s granddaughter want Gongzhu to apologize to You¡¯er¡¯s mother?¡±

 Chapter 90.9

    <h4>Chapter 90.9</h4>

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    Old General Mu led an army for many years. He naturally had an aggressive and imposing aura. Even if Taizi was the heir apparent to the throne, Taizi would still not overdo his actions.

    Seeing that Old General Mu was angry, Taizi hurriedly exined. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry Old General Mu! This matter was indeed fourth meimei¡¯s fault. She shouldn¡¯t have spoken nonsense. This Taizi hereby apologizes on her behalf to You¡¯er and her mother!¡±

    Zi You looked at the Fourth Gongzhu hiding behind Taizi. She coldly said, ¡°A person is responsible for his own actions. Taizi did not insult Chennu¡¯s mother. Why do you need to apologize? Pardon Chennu for not epting your apology. Fourth Gongzhu, it can¡¯t be that you can¡¯t afford to lose, right? Didn¡¯t you use your blood to write the bet down? If you break your word, you will be cursed.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo was so angry her eyebrows almost turned vertical. Herrge eyes were wide and her temples throbbed in pain. She almost lunged forwards.

    She didn¡¯t think today would end with such results. Now, she was being forced to this degree. She really threw her face far away today. She didn¡¯t know how she would beughed at by everyone.

    But what if she did not apologize? She already wrote it in blood. Taizi gege was the middleman. He would also be ridiculed.

    Shangguan Lingluo looked at her favorite Taizi gege. Her tearful eyes were filled with grievance. She viciously red at Zi You. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Bengong shouldn¡¯t have insulted your mother.¡±

    Her tears streamed down her face. Her lips were about to bleed from her biting them. She hated that she couldn¡¯t tear Zi You into pieces.

    She secretly swore to herself, ¡®Cheap yatou! Bengong will never let you go. See how Bengong will take care of you!¡¯

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s double-lidded phoenix eyes looked at Shangguan Lingluo and then at Mu Zi You. She was so excited that she hated she couldn¡¯t cheer out loud. It was great! They formed a grudge. It was best to have a life or death struggle until they both died. That would suit her taste...

 Chapter 91 Part 1/5 Lofty and Unyielding VS Twisted Insidiousness

    <h4>Chapter 91 Part 1/5 Lofty and Unyielding VS Twisted Insidiousness</h4>

    The women in the garden weren¡¯t good people. They should all go to hell! We were all noble xiaojies. Why must I be lower than you?

    Shu-born. Shu-born. This Xiaojie vows that I will never let my children be Shu sons or Shu daughters. Whoever blocks this Xiaojie¡¯s path to be a main wife will pay a bloody price.

    Yu Lanxuan was dark, vicious, and malicious because of adults¡¯ teachings and her environment¡¯s persecution.

    Her Di mother, Yu Meilian¡¯s biological mother, originally treatedoye¡¯s concubines and Shu children meanly and cruelly. Yu Lanxuan was oppressed long-term by her Di mother and Di sisters. Her heart had long be dark and twisted.

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s biological mother, Wang Yiping¡¯s older sister Wang Yaping, was influenced, along with Wang Yiping, by her actress mother¡¯s teachings. She was a bad woman to the bone.

    As Wang Yaping¡¯s daughter, Yu Lanxuan¡¯s education was learning how to harm people, how to defend against people, and how to steal other people¡¯s things.

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    So from her bones to her soul, she was branded as selfish, vicious, jealous, and mean.

    The little yatou was not old, but she was deep and vicious; not below adults at all.

    Zi You knew that shepletely offended the extremely spoiled gongzhu. She might have endless troubles in the future. But she did not regret it.

    If she could do it again, she would do the same thing. Her mother helped subdue the rebellion in Nanjiang. She made a heroic war contribution and was their imperial family¡¯s meritorious official. Why should she be insulted by an imperial descendant?

    Zi You¡¯s deep purple eyes looked around. She firmly and clearly said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. My mother Dier is the offspring of Indian royalty and Great Yan parents, not some vulgar southern barbarian. Let¡¯s not speak of how she helped subdue the rebellion in Nanjiang. With her superb medical skills, she saved countless Great Yan soldiers, leading to our country¡¯s victory and making a heroic war contribution. Even if she was a rough countrywoman, Mu Zi You will never allow someone to insult her! Not even the imperial family can. Otherwise, even if Mu Zi You fights to the death, Mu Zi You will still seek justice from the Emperor.¡±

 Chapter 91.2

    <h4>Chapter 91.2</h4>

    No one spoke in the garden. Although no one dared to express themselves on the surface, everyone really admired Zi You in their hearts. What a descendant from a military family. Her courage and moral backbone were unlike ordinary people.

    Of course, due to Zi You¡¯s excellence, some people were even more jealous of her. These were the people from Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s group earlier.

    And Shangguan LingRan¡¯s phoenix eyes became deep as a spring. This was the first time in his life he had a strong interest in a girl.

    It was just that he still had a slight charmingly evil smile on his face. He looked at everyone and then said fiercely to Zi You, ¡°Darned yatou! Didn¡¯t you just win thepetition? Why are you unwilling to forgive? Be careful that this Ye will kill off all the birds and butterflies. How would you attract them then?¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± Everyone loudlyughed. They secretly thought that An Wang was well-versed in civil and military affairs, but his Di son was a straw-bag [idiot].

    Taizi had a refined smile on his face. Like a modest gentleman, he praised, ¡°Mu Xiaojie is worthy of being a descendant from a military family. Her lofty and unyielding character is really admirable!¡±

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    Huh! You saw that my grandfather came so you¡¯re saying good words now? Unfortunately, I won¡¯t believe in the things you say. With a meimei like Shangguan Lingluo and a tangdi [younger male patrilineal cousin] like Shangguan LingRan, how good can you be?

    Zi You was incessantly ck-belly. Her face held a clear and cold smile like the moon. While it was soul-hooking, it made you dare not profane it.

    Taizi¡¯s smile was as gentle as jade. He said to Old General Mu, ¡°Ten dayster, Taizi fu will be holding a Chrysanthemum Appreciation Feast. Please bring your family to attend, Old General Mu.¡±

    Old General Mu bowed. ¡°This official obeys. At that time, this official will be disturbing Taizi.¡±

    Taizi nodded and his smile grew wider. ¡°Good. I will wait for Old General¡¯s arrival.¡±

    Then he bid Empress Dowager¡¯s maiden family goodbye and left Duke Anguo fu with his attendants.

 Chapter 91.3

    <h4>Chapter 91.3</h4>

    ¡°Taizi gege, wait for me.¡± Shangguan Lingluo viciously red at Zi You and hurriedly chased after Taizi.

    The three friends Zi You made came over. They looked anxiously at her and shook their heads.

    Liu Ruixue pulled Zi You over by the waterside. She whispered a warning. ¡°Fourth Mei [Zi You¡¯s the youngest among the four friends, hence ¡®mei¡¯ (younger siser)], you have to be careful in the future! Shangguan Lingluo will certainly seek revenge. She¡¯s mean, sly, and petty. She¡¯s also a gongzhu and close to Taizi. You¡¯ve offended such a person. You have to be careful.¡±

    Zi You nodded and held her hand. Her face was clear and cold, but she gratefully said, ¡°I know, First Jie [first or oldest sister because Liu Ruixue¡¯s the oldest among the four]. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s better if we maintain our distance in front of other people. After all, you are going to marry Taizi. You don¡¯t want to offend your sister-inw. I¡¯m afraid she will seek trouble with you. It¡¯s the same with Second Jie and Third Jie. If we want to meet in the future, we should do it secretly outside. Let¡¯s no participate in our fus¡¯ gatherings.¡±

    Liu Ruixue looked emotionally at Zi You. She thought that this seemingly cold little guniang¡¯s heart was not as cold as her appearance. She knew how to think for other people.

    Liu Ruixue frowned thinking about Shangguan Lingluo. She said to Xia Ruoqing and Ji Bingyu, ¡°How about this? Every other month, let¡¯s meet at my gege¡¯s Qingming Poetry Group. Let¡¯s take the time to catch up while they¡¯re having their poetry meeting. How about it?¡±

    Zi You thought and said, ¡°There are men walking in and out of the poetry club. If Shangguan Lingluo finds out, it would be easy for them to get a handle and throw dirty water on us. I know a ce with beautiful scenery. There¡¯s also no one there. We should go to that ce.¡±

    The three little guniangs almost asked in unison, ¡°Where?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s face turned mischievous. She yfully smiled, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you now. When the timees, I¡¯ll take you there. At that time, let¡¯s meet at the foot of Yinwu Mountain.¡±

    When Zi You was practicing with the female soldiers, she found a waterfall there. The stream was as beautiful as a fairnd and very secluded.

    After the four made an appointment, Zi You also left. She went to bid goodbye to Duke Anguo furen, Liu Ruixue¡¯s mother, N¨¦e Wei.

 Chapter 91.4

    <h4>Chapter 91.4</h4>

    N¨¦e Wei was Zi You¡¯s Aunt Liu¡¯s wife of her male cousin via the female line. She got along very well with N¨¦e Liu, as if they were sisters-inw.

    N¨¦e Wei was also very angry after hearing about what happened in the garden. Wasn¡¯t that pping their Duke Anguo fu¡¯s face? The General¡¯s Manor and Duke Anguo fu were rted and friends. Duke Anguo fu invited guests over today. Regardless of this rtionship, you carelessly started scolding. What was the meaning of this?

    N¨¦e Wei pulled Zi You and apologetically said, ¡°Good child, you¡¯ve been wronged. Let¡¯s not bother with them. Wait for aunt [intimate address] to tell the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager will seek justice for you.¡±

    Zi You respectfully curtsied. She gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, auntie! But it¡¯s better not to inform the Empress Dowager and put her in a difficult spot. After all, Fourth Gongzhu is the Emperor¡¯s most loved daughter. If the Empress Dowager scolds her and Fourth Gongzhuins in front of the Emperor, then wouldn¡¯t even the Emperor be alerted? Zi You is not afraid of being punished by the Emperor. But I think this is a matter between us juniors. We have already solved it so there¡¯s no need to tell the elders and have the elders worry. Also, auntie doesn¡¯t need to be sorry. You didn¡¯t know that Fourth Gongzhu would do such a thing. And even if you knew, her mouth is on her face. You can¡¯t control it. So, this matter is unrted to you. You don¡¯t need to seek justice for You¡¯er. Xue jiejie [Liu Ruixue] still needs to marry into the imperial family. She needs to be on good terms with them.¡±

    If she didn¡¯t remember incorrectly, Liu Ruixue was not happy being married to Taizi in Zi You¡¯s previous life. After only two years, she passed away.

    It was just that Zi You was not friends with Liu Ruixue in her previous life. She was not clear as to how she died. She seemed to have heard from N¨¦e Liu that Taizi doted on her, but brought her endless jealousy. Her life in Taizi fu wasn¡¯t good. All of Taizi¡¯s wives and concubines were against her.

    What a bullsh*t Taizi! You couldn¡¯t even protect the woman you love? This lifetime, they were good friends. She must safely protect her. Zi You secretly swore to herself.

 Chapter 91.5

    <h4>Chapter 91.5</h4>

    N¨¦e Wei said to N¨¦e Liu, full of praise, ¡°No wonder you always boast about this child. She is indeed very intelligent and sensible. Xue¡¯er [Liu Ruixue] told me the other day she had met a good meimei. This, I don¡¯t have many daughters, only Xue¡¯er. You¡¯er, why don¡¯t you be my goddaughter? And call me Godmother?¡±

    Zi You did not refuse. She calmly and formally kneeled in ceremony. ¡°This child pays respects to Godmother. Wishing Godmother good fortune!¡±

    Compared to Wang Yiping, Zi You would rather call N¨¦e Wei ¡°mother.¡±

    Liu Ruixue saw this and happily grabbed Zi You¡¯s hand. She was beaming with joy. ¡°This is great! Now you¡¯ve really be my meimei!¡±

    Zi You feigned anger and coquettishly said, ¡°What? So you didn¡¯t treat me as your real meimei before?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Liu Ruixue hastened to exin. ¡°I did before and even more so now.¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± Everyone heard andughed.

    Admidst theughter, Zi You said regretfully, ¡°But You¡¯er cannote often to visit Godmother. You¡¯er is afraid that by being to close to you, Fourth Gongzhu will make trouble.¡±

    N¨¦e Wei disdained, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, You¡¯er. She¡¯s the daughter of a little consort. She doesn¡¯t have the ability to touch our Duke Anguo fu.¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°Godmother, since ancient times, monarchs are suspicious. They are afraid of and don¡¯t want to see powerful external forces. As the saying goes, one rather offends a gentleman than a vile character. I have already offended a vile character. I don¡¯t want to implicate Duke Anguo fu. One must have the heart to guard against others.¡±

    N¨¦e Liu also nodded. ¡°Yes, sister-inw. You¡¯er is right. We won¡¯t harm others, but we should guard against them.

    N¨¦e Wei reluctantly nodded. She regretfully said, ¡°I originally wanted to hold a banquet to formally recognize Zi You as my goddaughter. Can¡¯t it be done? I¡¯m not reconciled!¡±

 Chapter 92.1

    <h4>Chapter 92.1</h4>

    Zi You walked over and massaged N¨¦e Wei¡¯s shoulders. She lovably said, ¡°Godmother, we can¡¯t do that now. You¡¯er and Fourth Gongzhu argued so heatedly and now you¡¯ve epted You¡¯er as your goddaughter. Fourth Gongzhu will certainly think that you are against her. With her meanness and petty mind, she wouldn¡¯t fight openly with our Duke Anguo fu. But if she said some words filled with hidden meaning in front of the Emperor or Taizi, it would be annoying enough. It¡¯s easy to avoid an obvious spear, but difficult to guard against a hidden stab. After all, jiejie is about to marry Taizi. She will be a daughter-inw of the imperial family. It¡¯s better to be careful.¡±

    N¨¦e Wei looked at Liu Ruixue and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m really reluctant to let Xue¡¯er be wronged in that She woman¡¯s house. But the Empress Dowager put in so much effort that I couldn¡¯t object. It¡¯s really wronging Xue¡¯er to death.¡±

    Liu Ruixue thought that after marrying Taizi, she would be a concubine in front of She Yuejiao [Taizifei who will soon show up]. Her aggrieved eyes couldn¡¯t help but redden.

    Actually, her impression of Taizi had always been good. Regardless of appearance, character, or talents, he was outstanding. But thinking that she was marrying to be a cefei [side consort/ concubine], her heart had a trace of regret.

    Cefei. To be blunt, it was a little concubine. Whether it was family background or personal talents, that She Yuejiao was almost the same as her. Why should she be below her?

    After Zi You and N¨¦e Liu returned to the house, Old General Mu immediately asked Zi You seriously, ¡°You¡¯er, talk to grandfather. What happened at Duke Anguo fu today? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to use your spiritual powers? Why didn¡¯t you listen?¡±

    Zi You knew she vited her grandfather¡¯s orders. Her aggrieved eyes filled with tears. She told him how Shangguan Lingluo insulted her mother and provoked her. She angrily wiped her tears away and said fiercely, ¡°One day... one day, I will be so strong that no one would dare to gossip about me! I will be so strong that everyone will be in awe!¡±

    Zi You was angry and her eyes immediately turned purple. Her spiritual power naturally spilled out. The room¡¯s objects were shaking and crackling.

    Old General Mu wanted to go over tofort her. But a powerful force stopped him, hindering his steps from moving forward.

 Chapter 92.2

    <h4>Chapter 92.2</h4>

    Old General Mu was secretly shocked. So his granddaughter¡¯s spiritual power was this powerful already. He even used his martial arts, but couldn¡¯t get very close to her.

    This wasn¡¯t good. If this spiritual force was detected by Goddess Mari, wouldn¡¯t his granddaughter be taken away from him?

    Thinking of this, Old General Mu¡¯s heart felt like it was being gouged out. He couldn¡¯t help but tremble in pain. The elderly man stretched out his hand and lovingly patted his granddaughter. ¡°You¡¯er, precious, don¡¯t be angry. Grandfather is here. Grandfather is here. I will never let anyone insult your mother in the future.¡±

    Zi You gradually quelled her anger. She rushed into her grandfather¡¯s arms and hugged him in grievance.

    Old General Mu looked at his granddaughter buried in his arms and felt as if his heart was being sliced by a knife. He knew that Zi You was angry because Dier was always demeaned as a lowly southern barbarian.

    If she did not let go of this anger, her spiritual power could spill out at any time and kill someone. Zi You did not injure Shangguan Lingluo today and only humiliated her. That was already being polite.

    Advertisements

    Old General Mu decided at this moment that he must reveal Dier¡¯s identity to the Emperor so the Emperor could award Dier for her military exploits, to quell his granddaughter¡¯s anger.

    As Zi You was bitterly crying in her grandfather¡¯s arms, Shangguan Lingluo was weeping in Taizi¡¯s arms.

    Shangguan Lingluo was crying like pear blossoms in the rain. Looking at her sorrowful and pitiful face, those who didn¡¯t know would have thought her mother passed away.

    While crying, she was acting spoiled. ¡°Taizi gege, you have to help me teach that lowly darned yatou a lesson...¡±

    Taizi smiled like usual: gently and refined. He softlyforted, ¡°You¡¯ve said she¡¯s lowly. Why is a noble and dignified gongzhu calcting with a chennu? It¡¯s below your identity. Listen to me. Find a way to be friends with her in the future...¡±

 Chapter 92.3

    <h4>Chapter 92.3</h4>

    At this point, Taizi whispered something into Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s ear.

    Five minutester, Shangguan Lingluo lifted her head up and asked in surprise, ¡°Really? She has supernatural abilities? That darned yatou, I said she was... Taizi gege, I know what to do.¡±

    Taizi nodded in approval. He spoke gently and softly, ¡°Good. That¡¯s my good meimei. Go wash your face. I¡¯ll bring you to a good ce.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo bashfully smiled and left.

    Only, when she turned her back to Taizi, she did not see that Taizi¡¯s smile disappeared. In its ce was an unknown gloominess.

    When he came back today, he thought about the conversation he had with his trusted adviser, Miao shaman Darong Ka Dashi [great master]. As they talked, they couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    To be honest, at Duke Ango fu today, he was also shocked by Zi You attracting one hundred chirping birds and colorful flying butterflies!

    Such a thing, no one had ever seen unless it was myths or legends. It was unimaginable.

    So as soon as he returned to Taizi fu, he immediately sought out Darong Ka. He meticulously told everything about Zi You to the mysterious Miao shaman. He asked, ¡°Dashi, does she have spiritual powers like you?¡±

    Darong Ka was a well-known Miao shaman. He was male, forty-three years old, able to use gu poison [legendary venomous insect], and able tomunicate with departed spirits. Taizi spent a lot of money to attract him from a Miao vige in Nanjiang.

    Darong Ka shook his head. He mysteriously said, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. From your words, it¡¯s likely she has supernatural powers that can manipte the souls of animals.¡±

    ¡°Animals have souls too?¡± Taizi¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock.

    Darong Ka lightly smiled. ¡°Every living thing has a soul. Animals and nts do. Which one of Laonu¡¯s [literally: this old ve] centipedes, scorpions, and poisonous snakes don¡¯t have a soul? How can Laonu control them if they didn¡¯t have souls? Whether this girl has supernatural abilities, let Laonu test her. Laonu just needs to release a gu. Once the gu is on her body, she would certainly use her spiritual powers to resist it. Then Laonu can detect it.¡±

 Chapter 92.4

    <h4>Chapter 92.4</h4>

    ¡°You can¡¯t touch her!¡± Taizi hurriedly said. An image of that pretty figure being surrounded by one hundred birds and colorful butterflies appeared in his mind.

    Now his fourth meimei Shangguan Lingluo wanted him to deal with Zi You. How was that possible? It wasn¡¯t even enough for him to fawn over her. How could he make her unhappy? How could he hurt her?

    Taizi thought for a long time. He finally went towards Taizifei¡¯s courtyard.

    She Yuejiao thought about everything that happened in Duke Anguo fu today. A ruminating smile appeared on her face.

    Very good, Mu Zi You! This Taizifei wants to see what Taizi¡¯s next move would be. But no matter who it is, if you want to take away this Taizifei¡¯s future Empress¡¯ throne, then this Taizifei will make you pay a blood price.

    Thinking of this, She Yuejiao¡¯s smile became ferocious and distorted, like a poisonous snake: very frightening.

    Once she heard the cry of ¡°Taizi is here¡± from outside, She Yuejiao¡¯s smile immediately became quiet and gentle. She was apletely different person from the earlier woman.

    She curtsied to Taizi and gently and sweetly said, ¡°Qie [this concubine] pays respects to Taizi. Wishing Taizi Ye good fortune!¡±

    Taizi and Taizifei were the same. Their smiles were gentle and their voices were as soft as spring water. ¡°Jiao¡¯er, you and I are husband and wife. Why are you so polite? Did you drink today¡¯s prenatal medicine?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. Qie wants to wait until after dinnertime to drink it. Is that okay?¡± She sweetly and shyly snuggled in Taizi¡¯s bosom and prettily asked.

    A sharpness shed across Taizi¡¯s eyes. His smile grew wider. ¡°Be good, dear! This is our first child. There can¡¯t be the slightest bit of mishap. Quickly drink the medicine for optimal effect.¡±

    He then said to the pce maids, ¡°Bring your master¡¯s prenatal medicine over.¡±

 Chapter 92.5

    <h4>Chapter 92.5</h4>

    She Yuejiao seemed to be very excited over her husband¡¯s consideration. After the pce maid brought the medicine over and with Taizi personally feeding her, she quickly drank the bowl of medicine.

    Seeing his wife drink all the medicine, Taizi was even happier. He hugged her, left warm words, and lingered for a while. Then he smiled and said, ¡°I won¡¯t spend the night with you, dear. I still have some things to discuss with them.¡±

    He kissed She Yuejiao¡¯s forehead and then walked out at ease.

    She Yuejiao¡¯s heart shook. Ai! This person was so handsome. He even looked good when he walked.

    Taizi returned to his own Lingyun Pavilion. Shangguan Lingluo had already changed into red pce attire and waiting for him there. Upin seeing him, she pounced and rushed into his arms. She cutely said, ¡°Taizi gege, where did you go? I¡¯ve been waiting here impatiently for a while. Didn¡¯t you say you will take me to a good ce? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    A trace of disgust shed across Taizi¡¯s eyes. The next second, he returned to having an elegant and refined smile. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. I will take you there.¡±

    The night wind was lightly and softly sweeping by like a beautiful fan. The moon was quiet and silently icy in the deep sky: pouring out her misty and cold light.

    In the Hundred Herb Garden of the General¡¯s Manor, hundreds of flowers danced and leaves rustled. The fragrance was overflowing.

    In the middle of a flower bed surrounded entirely by ck flowers, a girl was meditating and absorbing the essences of heaven and earth.

    The cold autumn night wind constantly blew her snow-white sari. The girl seemed like a fairy who could fly at any moment.

    This special flower bed held eighteen kinds of precious ck flowers. The innermost circle was the ck mandara flowers. The outer circles were ck tulips, poppies, lotuses and so on.

    The ck contrasted with Zi You¡¯s white clothing, making her more morous and mysterious.

    The events at Duke Anguo fu today inspired Zi You¡¯s fighting spirit.

 Chapter 93.1

    <h4>Chapter 93.1</h4>

    She knew that to be like her grandfather and uncle and have good standing and reputation, she could not shrink back.

    To be respected and stand at the highest peak looking down on everyone, she must be like her maternal grandmother Goddess Mari.

    So she cultivated ording to the books her mother left behind. Sometimes, she didn¡¯t even sleep the whole night.

    Zi You even gritted her teeth and ruthlessly vowed that she would surpass her grandmother Goddess Mari. At the time, she not only could call the wind and summon rain, but she could also rescue her mother Dier. At that time, a mother-daughter reunion would not be an empty dream.

    The cobra Weishali practiced alongside Zi You. It was just that while Zi You was practicing, he acted more as a guardian because at times, the cultivator¡¯s mind was highly concentrated. She could not be disturbed. Otherwise, her cultivation would backfire on her.

    Weishali was very excited these few days because his master was getting better at refining pills. This was crucial to it taking on a human form.

    At the same time, in the most famous brothel in the city, in the most famous geisha Lu Mudan¡¯s room, a handsome young man masked his face, changed into ck clothing, and opened the window, preparing to jump out.

    Lu Mudan hurriedly grabbed him. She worriedly told him, ¡°Be careful, little shishu [shifu¡¯s (martial teacher) younger martial brother]! Shifu said that person has a very able person. You must be careful.¡±

    The young man did not speak. He jumped out the window and disappeared into the night.

    Zi You was about to end practice, but heard Weishali hiss in warning.

 Chapter 93.2

    <h4>Chapter 93.2</h4>

    ¡°Is someone here? Weishali, go block him. If he dares to break in, bite him. Don¡¯t be polite,¡± Zi You used her spiritual power to issue orders.

    ¡°Hiss.¡± Weishali obeyed. He slithered into the grass and quickly disappeared.

    Zi You ended her cultivation practice. As light as a swallow, she flew into her study in Hundred Herb Garden. She changed into ck clothing and masked her face.

    As soon as she changed clothes, she heard Weishali¡¯s panicked voice. ¡°Master, he¡¯s too powerful. I can¡¯t stop him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming,¡± Zi You answered and leaped out.

    She quickly arrived to the front of Hundred Herb Garden. She saw that the person was dressed in ck and masked like her. He was already in the front courtyard. He infiltrated step-by-step. He was about to quickly arrive at the gate between the front and middle courtyards.

    Zi You did not ask him any questions. She knew even if she asked, he wouldn¡¯t answer. She shot out a three-bone nail. Her Silver Light Rain was herst resort. She didn¡¯t dare not to use it anymore. She was afraid she would have incriminated herself if her things were found in that bastard Zhao HongXiang¡¯s knee.

    The intruder was indeed not weak. He saw the concealed weapon shot at him and dodged. At the same time, he had to avoid Weishali¡¯s attacks. For a time, he was busy and in a difficult spot. However, he still managed to evade.

    Zi You saw that and was no longer polite. She pulled out colored silk and twisted it around Weishali¡¯s body. Then the colored silk became a poisonous sword pointed at the intruder.

 Chapter 93.3

    <h4>Chapter 93.3</h4>

    The intruder was secretly afraid! This yatou was so young, but so poisonous! Using a viper as a weapon to attack people. Just one bite from a king cobra was enough!

    The colored silk was filled with Qi [energy]. It was no longer soft. Every strike was like the de of a sword. In addition to Weishali¡¯s actions in front of the colored silk: opening his fangs, biting, and spitting out poisonous venom; it was really difficult for people to parry.

    The intruder was angry. He scattered his unique Three Insect Corpse Powder on Zi You...

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Zi You smelled an unpleasant odor and wanted to dodge. But a person flew over. His right hand grabbed her waist and the soft sword in his left hand thrusted at the intruder.

    The person who saved Zi You was left-handed. The thin, soft sword shimmered blue. Under the moonlight, it emitted a brilliant light. Every sword strike stabbed at the intruder¡¯s vital points.

    The intruder secretly trembled. He dared not fight. He hurriedly scattered Three Insect Corpse Powder again. Then he retreated and disappeared into the night with the blink of an eye...

    Zi You saw him leave and did not give chase. The Three Insect Corpse Powder smelled really bad. She knew what it was. It used the corpses of poisonous insects to create a poison. Only the shamans in two Miao viges in Nanjiang knew how to make it.

    And this second intruder didn¡¯t seem to be hostile to her. But then why was he spying on her?

    Fortunately, he held no ill intentions towards her. Otherwise, his martial arts were so high. She wouldn¡¯t even know if he injured her.

    Who were these two people? They actually dared to spy on the General¡¯s Manor? Zi You frowned and was about to start asking questions. But she heard the man who saved her taunted, ¡°Idiot! Are your spiritual powers just for exhibiting talents? Why didn¡¯t you use them earlier?¡±

 Chapter 93.4

    <h4>Chapter 93.4</h4>

    He didn¡¯t wait for Zi You¡¯s response. He looked at the squirming insect corpses on the ground that had turned into yellow pus. He mocked, ¡°I know you¡¯re not afraid of poison. I won¡¯t care about you anymore. You¡¯re really stupid to death. Someone has to clean up after you everytime.¡±

    ¡°Who needs to be saved by you?¡± ZiYou was angry at him calling her ¡°stupid¡± and ¡°idiot.¡± She sent a kick over. ¡°Thisdy has not convicted you of the crime of trespassing in the General¡¯s Manor. That¡¯s already letting you off lightly. You dare to be arrogant? Just looking at your mask means that you¡¯re some scoundrel who can¡¯t be seen. Tonight, thisdy will have you revert to your original form.¡±

    ¡°So fierce? Be careful you can¡¯t get married in the future. Not only stupid, but also fierce and ugly. I¡¯m toozy to look at you. I¡¯m leaving.¡± He quickly disappeared into the night, leaving behind a refreshing bamboo scent.

    Where did she smell this scent before? Where? Zi You was sprinkling an antidote powder and thinking hard.

    This tone of voice and martial arts... Shangguan LingRan! Zi You remembered that on that day at Duke Yongnan fu, when he grabbed her and jumped out the window, she smelled this same scent.

    Also, the tone of voice was the same in the market that day and at Duke Anguo fu.

    It seemed like he wasn¡¯t like the dandy he appeared to be, with his high martial arts skills. Why did he pretend to be a weak and inept hopeless case? And why would he help her?

    There was also the first intruder. He wasn¡¯t very tall: around 1.6-1.8 meters tall. His martial arts and method of poisoning seemed that he was a Nanjiang person. Could it be someone her maternal grandfather sent? Or was he someone a wangzi sent?

    He shouldn¡¯t be someone her maternal grandfather sent. No matter what, they were her rtives. They shouldn¡¯t be poisoning her.

 Chapter 93.5

    <h4>Chapter 93.5</h4>

    Then who was the intruder? What was his purpose in scouting the General¡¯s Manor at night?

    Thinking of this, Zi You broke out into a cold sweat. It seemed that from now on, she needed to increase her vignce. Was it because she used her spiritual power at Duke Anguo fu that attracted the attention of different parties? Or was the Emperor uncertain about grandfather?

    Regarding her spiritual power, she wasn¡¯t too worried because sooner orter she would have to face that day. But she did not want anyone to find out that she could psychicallymunicate with animals and flowers. She didn¡¯t even tell her closest grandfather. After all, it was an ancient form of Indian magic. Not all Great Yan people could understand or ept it.

    If the Emperor or someone else wanted to harm her grandfather, then she needed to be more careful and on her guard. Those highly meritorious military officials were always an Emperor¡¯s taboo.

    It seemed like she needed to set up a battle array on her Hundred Herb Garden and grandfather and uncle¡¯s studies.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t sleep. She pored through the books her mother left behind and once again studied a variety of ancient techniques.

    She again felt how weak her strength was. If her ability wasparable to her mother and even her maternal grandmother, then was it possible to do what she wanted, when she wanted, without putting anyone in her eyes?

    No. Mu Zi You, you must be powerful and put in the hard work. You cannot rest for even a moment.

    ......

    August 22 was the day of Duke Yingguo fu¡¯s banquet. Because Mu YingRui was injured, he could not apany Wang Yiping there. She was so angry she almost gnashed her teeth into pieces. She cursed everyone in the Mu family in her heart again.

    Thinking of Mu YingRui, Wang Yiping¡¯s liver hurt from unbearable anger. Only ten days ago, that darned man who once pledged undying love to her, threw her aside in the blink of an eye. He and that Shui YouLian were as sweet as honey.

 Chapter 93.6

    <h4>Chapter 93.6</h4>

    Wang Yiping went to see him several times. She met Shui YouLian there everytime and made her stand a long time while curtsying to Wang Yiping. Mu YingRui was distressed to death and would scold Wang Yiping.

    They had only been married for less than a year. The past love he had for her had disappeared and ceased to exist.

    It was indeed that you see a newlywed smiling, but not an old lover crying. You fickle heartless rat. Wait for me. See how I will make you a cuckold.

    Besides you, there are many other people who like me. I don¡¯t have to hang myself to death on your crooked tree. Wait and see. You were heartless first so don¡¯t me me for being unjust afterwards.

    Wang Yiping looked in the mirror. Her skin was rather haggard and yellow. She picked up the powder on the table and ferociously applied it.

    So when Zi You saw Wang Yiping¡¯s made-up look, she was scared into almost tumbling over.

    It was a ghost! She saw a white person, with spots of red, as if she had just drank someone¡¯s blood, like a gaudily dressed ghost in a bright red dress. Standing in front of one with cold and gloomy eyes, even if the weather hadn¡¯t turned cold, one¡¯s bones would still be chilled.

    N¨¦e Liu and Zi You looked at each other. Zi You suppressed the ridicule in her heart and walked over to hug Wang Yiping¡¯s arm. She smilingly praised, ¡°Mother is so beautiful today! Don¡¯t you think so, Aunt?¡±

    N¨¦e Liu could only nod. ¡°Yes. Sister-inw returning to her maiden family today would certainly be the envy of everyone. Very beautiful.¡±

    Wang Yiping saw that the two didn¡¯t seem to be mocking her, so she smiled proudly. ¡°That, it¡¯s still dimei [younger brother¡¯s wife] who is beautiful. I¡¯m afraid that when I reach dimei¡¯s age, I won¡¯t look as beautiful as dimei is now.¡±

    She roundaboutedly called N¨¦e Liu old. Zi You immediately delicately chuckled and retaliated. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not speak of how the age difference between mother and Aunt is more than ten years. Even if the age difference between Shui Yiniang and mother is two years, father still gifted a poem to her.¡±

 Chapter 94 Part 1/5 Black Belly VS Black Belly

    <h4>Chapter 94 Part 1/5 ck Belly VS ck Belly</h4>

    At this point, Zi You deliberately looked at Wang Yiping. Seeing her face turned green, Zi You¡¯s heart was happy. She continued, ¡°What ¡®a pear blossom brings youth in the rain, a sixteen-year-old beauty marries.¡¯ Aiyo. I feel dissatisfied for mother. Shui Yiniang cries like a pear blossom in the rain. But what does mother look like when you cry?¡±

    The handkerchief in Wang Yiping¡¯s hand was almost wrung to pieces. Her heart, liver, spleen, and stomach started paining all together. The sound of her gnashing teeth could be heard.

    Zi You heard and feigned curiosity. ¡°Mother, why are you gritting your teeth? Do your teeth hurt? Oh, that¡¯s not good. Do we need to invite a doctor to take a look? Toothache is not an illness. The pain is unbearable.¡±

    Wang Yiping faintly nced at her. She expended much effort to spit out two words. ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Zi You pretended to be clever and obedient and pulled her along to the horse carriage. Her heart was very happy. Let¡¯s see if I can anger you to death, slut! Don¡¯t you like pretending? Let¡¯s see how long you can pretend for.

    N¨¦e Liu saw the situation and happily smiled. You¡¯er was so clever. If Dier could return and see her, Dier would be proud of her too.

    Zi You and Wang Yiping sat in the horse carriage. Zi You thought that this was the time in her previous life that ShiYun was defiled by Wang Yiping¡¯s brother. ShiYun wouldn¡¯t be the beast¡¯s little concubine, so she ended up dying tragically.

    It was also this event that the traitorous maidservant Liu Yanhong took ShiYun¡¯s ce and became Zi You¡¯s confidant.

    This time, I will do my best to protect ShiYun and find a way to take care of that maidservant Yanhong.

    Zi You pretended to doze off, but her heart was fully alert and vignt against Wang Yiping plotting against her. She could even sense Wang Yiping ring at her with gritted teeth.

 Chapter 94.2

    <h4>Chapter 94.2</h4>

    Duke Yingguo fu was a declining family and iparable to Duke Anguo fu. Let¡¯s not mention how they only had half of the guests. But there was almost no first- or second-rank furens there.

    When Zi You followed Wang Yiping to pay their respects to Duke Yingguo furen, Duke Yingguo furen was very warm and enthusiastic towards Zi You. She pulled Zi You over by her side and said, with fake smiles, ¡°Good child,e over and let Waipo [maternal grandmother] take a look. En, you¡¯re thinner than thest time you were here. Why? Did your mother not take good care of you? Tell Waipo. Waipo will seek justice for you.¡±

    Zi You hurriedly shook her head. She secretly nced at Wang Yiping. She carefully said, ¡°It¡¯s not that mother didn¡¯t take good care of me. It¡¯s that I made mother mad. Mother...¡±

    ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t speak, no one will think you¡¯re mute.¡± Zi You¡¯s words weren¡¯t finished, but Wang Yiping stopped her and red at her.

    Duke Yingguo furen immediately looked at her in displeasure. She med, ¡°What do you mean? Are you giving me attitude? I¡¯m showing concern for my granddaughter. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    Concern for your granddaughter? That darned Mu Zi You and you have no rtionship whatsoever. Why would you care about her? You just want to hear about me andugh at me.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s face turned cold. Sheughed strangely at Zi You. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you thanking your Waipo? See how much she cares about you? She cares about you more than her daughter: me. You are really blessed.¡±

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but want tough. Not bad. Not bad. The enemy of an enemy is my friend. It seems like Wang Yiping and her Di mother¡¯s rtionship was awful. That¡¯s great. I don¡¯t have to directly confront Wang Yiping. I just have to ¡°greet¡± ¡°Waipo¡± more often. Wouldn¡¯t ¡°Waipo¡± make trouble for this lowly wench?

    Zi You smiled as sweet as flowers. Her words seemed as if honey was added. ¡°That can¡¯t be it. You¡¯er was always sorry that she didn¡¯t have a Waipo. It¡¯s great now. I not only have Waipo and Waigong [maternal grandfather], but also an uncle and aunt. It¡¯s great.¡±

    Zi You then pulled Duke Yingguo furen¡¯s arms and leaned her head on the old woman¡¯s shoulder. Her dreamy and admiring face angered Wang Yiping.

 Chapter 94.3

    <h4>Chapter 94.3</h4>

    Duke Yingguo furen saw that and deliberately hugged Zi You. ¡°Good and obedient.¡± She really seemed to treat Zi You like her real granddaughter.

    Wang Yiping really couldn¡¯t watch anymore. She huffily stood up and said, ¡°You¡¯er,e here. Let¡¯s go see my yiniang.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zi You stood up and ran after her. She suddenly went ¡°ouch¡± and fell down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother. I twisted my ankle. You go first. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    Wang Yiping was angered and really had an impulse to violently beat Zi You. She slowly walked over to Zi You and asked in feigned concern, ¡°Is it serious?¡± Then she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell the matters of the General¡¯s Manor to old furen. Don¡¯t think she¡¯s good to you. She¡¯s bad to the bone. She just wants to see General¡¯s Manor¡¯s as a joke.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± Zi You rubbed her ankle and answered.

    Wang Yiping was impatient. ¡°Go rest by the rock garden. I wille find youter.¡±

    With that, she hurriedly went to her yiniang¡¯s courtyard. She sent a message yesterday to have her gege with the same father but a different mother, her father¡¯s Third Yiniang¡¯s son, to meet her in her mother¡¯s room.

    Her fifth brother Wang Shengmin had already obtained her when she was thirteen years old. The two maintained this rtionship for more than three years.

    Because she feared pregnancy, she consumed lots of contraceptive medicines. She was tangling with Mu YingRui day and night and still didn¡¯t get pregnant. So it seemed that her using the contraceptive medicine year-round had an effect on conceiving.

    But Imperial Physician Qin clearly said it wouldn¡¯t cause infertility. It seemed that she needed to go see him one day and him examine her closely. Also, she would ask him if there was a way to kill off the old man and darned little wench [Old General Mu and Zi You].

    But he would tangle with her again. That old man was already over fifty. Why was he still so voracious? He doesn¡¯t want my mother, but want me. Tch. No man is really good.

    Wang Yiping sat in a sedan chair and scolded incessantly.

    Zi You saw that Wang Yiping was far away. She went to the back of the rock garden. She used ventriloquism to say, ¡°Weishali, follow her and see what she¡¯s doing.¡±

 Chapter 94.4

    <h4>Chapter 94.4</h4>

    In less than two minutes, Weishali slithered over. He hissed twice and disappeared among the flowers.

    Zi You looked around and saw no one. Then she slowly walked out, feigning a limp in her leg. She walked towards the pond.

    She took two steps and heard a mockingugh. ¡°Two days without seeing you and you¡¯ve be a cripple? That¡¯s karma. Karma.¡±

    Zi You looked. It was that ¡°dandy¡± Shangguan LingRan again. She fiercely red at him. She didn¡¯t understand why his mother An Wangfei was such a nice person, but her son was so annoying.

    He obviously wasn¡¯t a bad person, but his words were harsh and taunting. He really needed to be taught a lesson.

    Zi You ignored him and turned to leave. Shangguan LingRan jumped over and blocked her. He smiled, ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you very powerful? What¡¯s happened today? You¡¯ve be mute?¡±

    Zi You wanted to strike him, but there were lots of people in the garden. A few xiaojies were even looking at her and Shangguan LingRan from close by. Therefore, she rolled her eyes and smiled sweetly at Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Shizi Ye, thank you for that day. If you didn¡¯t help and lured the birds and butterflies over, I wouldn¡¯t be able to win against Fourth Gongzhu. Thank you for that torn robe. I will have my maidservants make another one for you.¡±

    Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it was enough for those few xiaojies to hear. Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face turned ck.

    This bad yatou actually wanted to obscure the facts and bring the trouble to himself. If those evil pests, who wholeheartedly plotted to kill him, knew of this matter, who knew how they would harm him?

    This little yatou was not old, but her heart was vicious. Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You as if he was looking at ghosts. He refuted, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? How can this Ye have the ability to attract birds and butterflies? Besides, even if Ye can do it, Ye would do it for fourth meimei. Would Ye do a favor for you outsider? Don¡¯t think fancifully.¡±

 Chapter 94.5

    <h4>Chapter 94.5</h4>

    Zi You looked at him getting flustered and became gentler. She delicately looked at him and revealed a demonically charming smile. Her voice also became cuter and sweeter. ¡°Shizi Ye, there are no outsiders here. What are you afraid of? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell Fourth Gongzhu.¡±

    With her back to the noble xiaojies, Zi You¡¯s eyes gradually turned purple. She looked bashfully, tenderly, and charmingly at him. Countless charms gathered on her face. This caused Shangguan LingRan¡¯s useless and traitorous heart to jump in confusion. He clearly knew that the poppy flower was poisonous, but he could not resist her temptation. His feet didn¡¯t listen to him and walked towards her...

    Zi You waited for him to get close and shouted loudly, ¡°Shizi Ye, even though you helped me, you still can¡¯t be a hoodlum!¡±

    This way,bined with Shangguan LingRan¡¯s poor character, people would certainly believe her words. If she attracted attention due to her spiritual powerster on, some of it could be dispersed onto Shangguan LingRan. No one could distinguish what was truth and what was false then.

    Zi You¡¯s wishful thinking was calcted well, but she did not seed.

    She had a ck belly, but Shangguan LingRan did not lose out. Seeing Zi You enchant him and smiling mischievously at him, he leaned over and said, ¡°What? You want to bewitch this Ye? Unfortunately, you¡¯re too young. You little green unripe fruit still have a long ways to go before you can bewitch this Ye. Wait after you grow up in two or three years.¡±

    Hearing him say that she hadn¡¯t grown up yet, Zi You¡¯s anger rose. She hated she couldn¡¯t go up and bite him a few times. But she still had an innocent and na?ve smile on her face. ¡°Shizi Ye finished growing? Where is it? Let everyone see.¡±

    This time it was Shangguan LingRan¡¯s turn to be stunned. He looked at Zi You like he was looking at aliens. He was utterly speechless.

    At this time, Fourth Gongzhu Shangguan Lingluo and her cronies came over. She smiled, but with sharp eyes. She looked at Shangguan LingRan and Zi You and said acidly, ¡°What are you talking about? Mu Xiaojie is filled with smiles. Do you perhaps like my tangge [older male patrilineal cousin]?¡±

 Chapter 95.1

    <h4>Chapter 95.1</h4>

    Zi You respectfully and formally curtsied. She frankly said, ¡°Chennu pays respects to Gongzhu! Thousands of good fortune to Gongzhu! Gongzhu is joking. Shizi Ye is of the noble, imperial family. Chennu dare not socially aspire to be with Shizi Ye. It should be someone like Gongzhu, who is a real golden phoenix.¡±

    Zi You said her words with no intentions, but Shangguan Lingluo heard intentions. She thought that her secrets were seen through by Zi You and Zi You was deliberately taunting her. Shangguan Lingluo was bursting with anger.

    She thought of that person¡¯s advice and suppressed her emotions. With her face trembling and teeth gritting, she said, ¡°Shizi is Bengong¡¯s tangge. What does Mu Xiaojie mean?¡±

    Zi You saw that she had a big reaction. She asked, rather baffled, ¡°What? What did Chennu say wrong? Gongzhu is blue-blooded nobility so Gongzhu should naturally be paired with a dragon among men. Can ordinary people deserve Gongzhu? And Shizi Ye? He¡¯s a dragon among men, so naturally Shizi Ye should be paired with a phoenix among women. Did Chennu say something wrong? Or...¡±

    Shangguan LingRan ran over to Shangguan Lingluo. He shouted to Zi You, ¡°Huh! At least you have self-knowledge. Whoever this Shizi Ye wants, it won¡¯t be you, you ugly, silly little yatou.¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± The xiaojies surrounding Shangguan Lingluoughed in ridicule.

    Yu Lanxuan was secretly sneering, but she put on a face of seeking justice for Zi You. She ran over to Zi You¡¯s side and shouted to the xiaojies covering their small, cherry mouths andughing, ¡°Don¡¯tugh anymore. Can¡¯t you see You jiejie is about to cry? Why do you keep bullying her? Is it because she¡¯s pretty?¡±

    Then she shed two crocodile tears and falsely said to Zi You, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, You jiejie! Can we still be friends? I was afraid of you being punished by Gongzhu that day so I... I...¡±

    ¡°What a good Yu Lanxuan. You dare to betray Bengong? Wait and see how I will take care of you!¡± Shangguan Lingluo angrily stamped her feet.

    Yu Lanxuan deliberately straightened her small body and feigned a righteous appearance. She loudly replied, ¡°You jiejie is not afraid of you. I¡¯m also not afraid you. Don¡¯t think I would submit to you.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo pointed to her and angrily shouted, ¡°Someone,e! Drag this darned yatou and hit her twenty times! She dares to contradict me. How insolent!¡±

 Chapter 95.2

    <h4>Chapter 95.2</h4>

    Yu Meilian came over and kneeled in front of Shangguan Lingluo. She tearfully pled, ¡°Please calm down, Gongzhu! Chennu¡¯s meimei deserves to be beaten, but Chennu begs you to forgive her once on ount of her young age. The next time she is disobedient, you can punish her crimes together. Chennu begs you! Chennu begs you!¡±

    At this time, the xiaojies around Shangguan Lingluo also kneeled. ¡°Yes, Lanxuan meimei is too young and not sensible. Gongzhu is magnanimous. Don¡¯t be angry with a Chennu.¡±

    For a time, the pleas were heard. Only Shangguan LingRan and Zi You were left standing.

    Yu Meilian said righteously to Zi You, ¡°Why don¡¯t you kneel and beg Gongzhu? My meimei offended Gongzhu because of you. The other sisters couldn¡¯t stand to see her punished. Why are you indifferent?¡±

    Zi You looked at everyone¡¯s performances and the smile in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help but secretly sneer. You dare to y this game with me? What do you want to do by sending Yu Lanxuan to my side?

    But since you want to y, then I will apany you to y. Let¡¯s see who tricks whom.

    Advertisements

    Zi You¡¯s face immediately looked wronged. Her red petal-like lips pouted. She exined in a small voice, ¡°If I¡¯m not afraid to beg for mercy, then wouldn¡¯t Gongzhu be angrier? You also said Xuan meimei is punished by Gongzhu because of me. How can I dare to beg for mercy?¡±

    Then she shouted loyally to Yu Lanxuan, ¡°Thank you, Xuan meimei! I will always remember you taking a beating for me. Don¡¯t worry. From now on, you are my meimei. The fortunees to me and the sufferings go to you.¡±

    Everyone was acting, so they did not clearly hear what Zi You said. Only Shangguan LingRan and Shangguan Lingluo heard. Shangguan LingRan almost broke character and burst outughing.

    This little yatou was as cunning as a fox. How could she not tell that these stupid women were trying to use a reverse psychology trick on her? However, Shangguan Lingluo indeed wanted to deal with this little yatou. She was humiliated and would never stay silent and not retaliate.

    Shangguan Lingluo looked at Zi You and was angered until her liver hurt. She set up this reverse psychology trick to have Zi You kneel and beg her. Also, she would send Yu Lanxuan to Zi You¡¯s side to be a spy.

    However, she did not expect Mu Zi You to be so cunning and not fall for the trick. It seemed like she could only sacrifice Yu Lanxuan and really hit her twenty times.

 Chapter 95.3

    <h4>Chapter 95.3</h4>

    Shangguan Lingluo was riding a tiger and couldn¡¯t get off halfway. With a gloomy face, she could only snap, ¡°Drag her away and hit her hard.¡±

    The pce maids around Gongzhu immediately came over to pull Yu Lanxuan away. Yu Lanxuan couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore. She loudly cried out, ¡°You jiejie, save me. You jiejie, I¡¯m afraid...¡±

    Twenty hits with a board: her buttocks would certainly burst. Dear mother! In order to get close to Mu Zi You, this price was too high!

    Zi You saw that Yu Lanxuan was so scared that her little face was bloodless. Zi You¡¯s heart was so refreshed. But she feigned pity for her and walked in front of Yu Lanxuan. She tearfully said, ¡°Meimei, it¡¯s not that jiejie doesn¡¯t want to beg for mercy, but we can¡¯t let others look down on us, right? We won¡¯t beg for mercy. Hit, then hit. Jiejie will find ways to treat your injuries. You have to be strong. You have to be brave. I will be here cheering you on.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan almost spat out blood in anger. A trace of maliciousness shed across her eyes. She secretly got angry at Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s ¡°reverse psychology trick.¡± If the boards really hit her buttocks, then wouldn¡¯t she have died in vain?

    At this time, Taizi came over. He frowned and said to Shangguan Lingluo, ¡°Fourth meimei is bullying people again, right? How many times have I told you not to rely on your identity to run amok? Why don¡¯t you listen? If you dare to be this way again, see if I won¡¯t kick you out of the Pce.¡±

    ¡°Yes, your meimei won¡¯t do it anymore.¡± Shangguan Lingluo saw Taizi and immediately withdrew her arrogance and became coquettish.

    Her eyes contained thousands of charms. Added to her pretty and lovely little face, she became more enchanting.

    Zi You noticed, but did not speak. She went over to curtsy to Taizi. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Taizi Ye. Wishing Taizi Ye good fortune!¡±

    Taizi extended a hand to help her up. Zi You dodged away imperceptibly.

 Chapter 95.4

    <h4>Chapter 95.4</h4>

    Taizi was stunned because he did not expect her movements to be so quick. He immediately smiled lightly and elegantly, as if spring hade. ¡°Don¡¯t be polite, You meimei. Since you are Xue¡¯er¡¯s [Liu Ruixue] meimei, you are this Taizi¡¯s meimei. We are rtives. There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡±

    ¡°Etiquette should be observed,¡± Zi You calmly said. She was not arrogant and besides herself with joy because of Taizi¡¯s intimate and gentle manner towards her.

    Shangguan Lingluo and the xiaojies around her stared at Zi You with eyes of jealousy, envy, and hatred.

    Yu Lanxuan exaggeratedly knelt in front of Taizi. She cried like pear blossoms in the rain. ¡°This ve thanks Taizi Ye for saving this ve¡¯s life!¡±

    She lightly lifted her head and looked at him with delicate and charming soul-hooking eyes.

    This was seen by Shangguan Lingluo and she seethed with anger. She secretly scolded, ¡®Little vixen! Only twelve years old and is seducing men! She¡¯s really shameless. After taking care of Mu Zi You, see how I will take care of you.¡¯

    The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The gaze that Shangguan Lingluo looked at Taizi with fell into the eyes of Shangguan LingRan and Zi You. The two smiled meaningfully.

    On the other hand, Wang Yiping arrived at her yiniang¡¯s courtyard. She entered the drawing room and her yiniang N¨¦e Bai came out of the bedroom looking flushed. N¨¦e Bai held Wang Yiping¡¯s hand and looked her up and down. She was choked with emotions, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my child? Why is yourplexion so bad? Did you suffer grievances?¡±

    Wang Yiping looked at her biological mother and couldn¡¯t help but be jealous and hate her. How was the person in front of her an old woman in her forties? She was clearly a twenty-four or twenty-five-year-old mature and enchanting young woman. She was more beautiful than her [Wang Yiping].

    What an old demoness! Wang Yiping secretly cursed. She impatiently threw off her hand. ¡°Is fifth brother here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s here. He¡¯s waiting for you in the secret chamber,¡± N¨¦e Bai whispered.

 Chapter 95.5

    <h4>Chapter 95.5</h4>

    Once she heard that, Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t wait to get into N¨¦e Bai¡¯s room. She did not see her mother¡¯s jealous gaze.

    In N¨¦e Bai¡¯s room, she opened the closet door. The entrance to the secret chamber was behind the closet.

    Wang Yiping entered the closet and just walked into the secret chamber when she smelled a strange fishy smell. Before she had time to take a deeper sniff, she fell into the arms of a man.

    The familiar, but rather like a pce eunuch¡¯s voice whispered in her ear. ¡°Ping meimei, Ping meimei, I missed you to death.¡±

    A paw had already inserted itself into Wang Yiping¡¯s clothing and assailed her ¡°oranges.¡± His mouth was also not idle. It bit Wang Yiping¡¯s red lips...

    Wang Yiping quickly and softly reclined into his arms. She let him do whatever he wanted. She was reluctant to ask questions about what that strange odor was.

    Her fifth brother Wang Shengmin saw that his half-sister from the same father was willing to let him y as he wished like a lump of y. His pair of peach blossom eyes shone with a lustful glint.

    Women were all disguised as innocent. One would know just looking at his meimei and father¡¯s yiniang.

    As long as you let her taste that overwhelmingly ecstatic feeling, even if you didn¡¯t look for her, she woulde to find you.

    Bai Yiniang and her daughter were bornscivious. After he obtained Wang Yiping and N¨¦e Bai found out, N¨¦e Bai actually ckmailed him to sleep with her [N¨¦e Bai]. Otherwise, N¨¦e Bai would tell his father that he and his meimei did those kinds of things.

    Haha... this was also exactly what he wanted. He was also curious how did N¨¦e Bai, who was more than forty years old, captivated and turned his father, Duke Yingguo, the old lecher¡¯s soul upside down. Now she voluntarily offered herself up, he must carefully study.

 Chapter 96 Part 1/6 Brother and Sister Are Kissed By a Snake

    <h4>Chapter 96 Part 1/6 Brother and Sister Are Kissed By a Snake</h4>

    Truthfully, this old woman was really a **. Her skin was soft and tender and resembling silk. Touching it was wonderful. [It said ** in the raws.]

    His only regret was that her skin was turning yellow and not very white. However, when the lights were off and everything was ck, then he couldn¡¯t tell.

    Her plump meat buns pressed under his body was morefortable than Wang Yiping¡¯s thin, bony body.

    And Wang Yiping did not have as many bed tricks as her old vixen mother.

    N¨¦e Bai was worthy of her actress¡¯ origins. Her many tricks amazed him. Her ¡°mandarin ducks y,¡± ¡°a pair of birds flying together,¡± ¡°old tree overthrown...¡± It was so exciting!

    But no matter the stimtion, the fact that one was his Shu mother and one was his half-sister, brought him immense ***. Just thinking about that, even without ***, he could go for half an hour.

    It had already been more than half a month since she had been with Mu YingRui. If N¨¦e Bai and Wang Shengmin had not tangled in the morning, he wouldn¡¯t have withstand it and pounced onto Wang Yiping.

    Because he just vented, Wang Shengmin¡¯s little yellow eel was tired. It took a long time for it to raise its head. Since Wang Yiping was constantly being rubbed by him, she was already flooded.

    While licking his mouth, Wang Shengmin spoke filthy things that would disgust people to death. Also, that mouth that smelled slightly fishy spat into Wang Yiping¡¯s mouth.

    Wang Yiping was not disgusted, but was stimted until she wailed like a stray cat!

 Chapter 96.2

    <h4>Chapter 96.2</h4>

    For a time, the sounds of bodies pping against each other, a woman¡¯s shrill screams, and a man¡¯s beast-like roaring echoed in the chamber.

    Immersed in the sea of desire, neither noticed that a cobra was watching them.

    ¡°Master, Wang Yiping and her gege are xxoo.¡± With azy smile and a feigned gentle expression, Zi You was making small talk with Taizi, Shangguan Lingluo, Shangguan LingRan, noble gongzis and xiaojies. She then heard Weishali¡¯s transmitted voice.

    This slut! She really is a loose woman! She even *** with her gege! I¡¯m going to teach you a small lesson today and save the rest forter.

    ¡°Continue to observe and don¡¯t reveal your whereabouts,¡± Zi Youmanded.

    Then she curtsied and said to everyone, ¡°Please excuse Chennu. Chennu will go see mother.¡±

    She turned and lightly walked towards N¨¦e Bai¡¯s courtyard.

    N¨¦e Bai saw that she arrived and was startled. rmed, she asked, ¡°Why did Xiaojiee over?¡±

    Zi You unhurriedly half-curtsied. ¡°Mother said she came over to see you and wanted me to wait for her. But I waited for so long and didn¡¯t see hering out. I¡¯m worried, so I came over to take a look.¡±

    N¨¦e Bai hurriedly and widely smiled. ¡°Your mother left a long time ago. Look in the front courtyard. Maybe she¡¯s looking for you.¡±

 Chapter 96.3

    <h4>Chapter 96.3</h4>

    Zi You said to ShiYun and MoYun, ¡°You two go find mother. See if she¡¯s with Duke Yingguo furen. I will stay here and rest a bit before I go. You two be careful and don¡¯t mess around or forget your manners. If you can¡¯t find her, then return.¡±

    Out of sight, she made gestures at the two. Zi You¡¯s meaning was for them to hurry back, stay together, and do not separate.

    In her previous life, it was today that something happened to ShiYun and it was also because she was looking for Wang Yiping. As a result, ShiYun did not find Wang Yiping, but found trouble and was *** by Wang Shengmin.

    Now that she thought about it, it must be because ShiYun discovered Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin¡¯s adultery. So Wang Yiping let that beast in human clothing harm her.

    And now Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin were both here. Zi You could feel that Weishali¡¯s breath was in the vicinity. It seemed like this courtyard was hiding something. I am going to stay here today. I want to see where Wang Yiping will emerge from.

    Seeing Zi You sit down and not leave, N¨¦e Bai¡¯s face started showing panic. She lightlyughed. ¡°It¡¯s better if Xiaojie leaves. If Duke Yingguo and furen find out that you¡¯re staying at my ce, I¡¯m afraid you will be embarrassed.¡±

    Zi You shook her head and smiled innocently. ¡°No, Waipo treats You¡¯er very well, just like a biological waipo.¡±

    N¨¦e Bai was angered until her teeth ache. Like a biological waipo? That old thing was so horrid. Where is she kind? It is obvious she wants to rope in this little yatou to go against Ping¡¯er.

    Thinking of this, N¨¦e Bai immediately started speaking of Duke Yingguo furen¡¯s malevolence. She even forgot that her daughter was *** with someone in the secret chamber.

    ¡°Xiaojie, there are people who appear to treat you well, but have motives. Don¡¯t be fooled. How can Duke Yingguo furen treat you like her biological granddaughter? Only I treat you sincerely. You don¡¯t know that your mother was frequently beaten by Duke Yingguo furen when she was a child. Even when I think about it now, I still feel distressed...¡±

 Chapter 96.4

    <h4>Chapter 96.4</h4>

    N¨¦e Bai chattered on long-windedly for twenty minutes. A little maidservant came in halfway to refill the tea. Zi You saw that this was the Liu Yanhong who coborated with Yu Lanxuan to harm her and betray her in her previous life.

    Zi You endured and endured until she stopped herself from hitting Liu Yanhong. She smilingly praised, ¡°N¨¦e Bai is so beautiful. Even your maidservants are full of life; much better than my four maidservants.¡±

    Liu Yanhong smiled proudly.

    ¡°Xiaojie is the beautiful one. Nubi [this ve] have never seen a xiaojie who is as beautiful as you.¡±

    And just like in Zi You¡¯s previous life, Liu Yanhong¡¯s words were as sweet as honey. It was these sweet words that fooled her and made her treat Liu Yanhong as a confidant.

    Zi You deliberatelyughed very happily. She said to N¨¦e Bai, ¡°I really like this little yatou. Would N¨¦e Bai...?¡±

    ¡°Xiaojie, Nubi have searched all over Duke Yingguo fu and can¡¯t find Furen.¡± At this time, ShiYun and MoYun came in and interrupted Zi You¡¯s words.

    Zi You deliberately and anxiously shouted, ¡°Ah! How can that be? What are you standing around for? Go tell Aunt and Duke Yingguo furen. Then search everywhere. If something happens to mother, I¡¯ll hold you responsible!¡±

    Regardless of how N¨¦e Bai shouted behind Zi You, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the day. What can happen? You don¡¯t need to inform Duke Yingguo furen. Nothing will happen to your mother.¡±

    Zi You kept walking fast. Shemanded Weishali, ¡°Weishali, block the two and bite them.¡±

 Chapter 96.5

    <h4>Chapter 96.5</h4>

    Zi You found N¨¦e Liu. In front of Duke Yingguo furen and the other furens, she said to N¨¦e Liu, full of concern, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s really strange. Mother said she was going to visit Bai Yiniang. But it had been so long and I didn¡¯t see here out. I was worried so I went to find her at Bai Yiniang¡¯s. But Bai Yiniang said that mother had long left. ShiYun and MoYun searched all over Duke Yingguo fu and couldn¡¯t find mother. Aunt, did something happen to mother? My eye is twitching. I¡¯m worried!¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen immediately turned to her maidservants. ¡°Why aren¡¯t helping my granddaughter look? How can a grown person be missing? Hurry and search. What kind of person would leave her dimei and daughter and disappear?¡±

    Zi You tearfully begged, ¡°Waipo, when you find mother, you must not me her. Otherwise, granddaughter will be sad.¡±

    The noble furens there called Zi You filial. She was so concerned about her stepmother. She really was more intimate with her than a biological daughter.

    As everyone mored to search for Wang Yiping, Wang Yiping and her fifth brother were dispersing.

    The two were reluctant to part and kissed for a while. Wang Shengmin vulgarly asked, ¡°When will youe back next time? Don¡¯t you want children? Don¡¯t worry. Gege will find a way to get you pregnant.¡±

    Wang Yiping pushed him. She coyly and coquettishly said, ¡°Hateful! That old man will be leaving soon. You must get me pregnant before he leaves so I can me it on him. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be a dead giveaway?¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll find a way to have youe back often.¡± Wang Shengmin was talking and searching for his clothes.

    Neither person had noticed that Weishali had slithered onto the bed. It climbed onto each of their thighs and ¡°kissed¡± each of them. Then it quickly slipped away.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± The two sharply screamed. ¡°What bit me?¡±

 Chapter 96.6

    <h4>Chapter 96.6</h4>

    Wang Yiping¡¯s sharp eyes glimpsed Weishali¡¯s tail. She loudly shouted in fright, ¡°Snake... it¡¯s a snake. A snake bit us.¡±

    The two people lifted the quilt to look. Their thighs had two small holes. They were already turning ck. They seemed like poisonous snake bites at a nce.

    Wang Shengmin cried uselessly in fright. ¡°It¡¯s poisonous. It¡¯s poisonous! It¡¯s turning ck. Go get help! I don¡¯t want to die...¡±

    Wang Yiping was panicked and flustered. She didn¡¯t properly put her clothes on and ran out of the secret chamber.

    She exited the secret chamber and arrived at N¨¦e Bai¡¯s living room. Before she spoke, she was stunned.

    Duke Yingguo furen, N¨¦e Liu, Zi You, and a lot of servants were standing in the living room.

    Duke Yingguo furen was reprimanding N¨¦e Bai. ¡°She left your ce. How is it possible we can¡¯t find her in the whole fu? Did...¡±

    ¡°Mother, where did you go? You¡¯er couldn¡¯t find you and was worried to death.¡± Zi You saw Wang Yiping with disheveled clothes and messy hair and immediately called out.

    Wang Yiping was panicked and blocked by her Di mother, dimei, and daughter. She was angered that she couldn¡¯t rush over and tear Zi You into pieces.

    But she didn¡¯t have that ability, however. The speckled king cobra¡¯s venom was highly toxic. Plus, Weishali had been fed special herbs by Dier and Zi You. Its venom was ten times higher in toxicity.

 Chapter 97 Public Humiliation, I Wonâ€™t Let You Off, Part 1/9

    <h4>Chapter 97 Public Humiliation, I Won¡¯t Let You Off, Part 1/9</h4>

    Wang Yiping was feeling dizzy and nauseous. Her whole left leg was numb and in pain. She didn¡¯t answer Zi You¡¯s questions and shouted to N¨¦e Bai, ¡°Yiniang, save me! There¡¯s a snake in your room. I was bitten by a snake...¡±

    Her words weren¡¯t finished, but she fainted...

    At this moment, a crash sounded from the back room.

    Duke Yingguo furen seemed to have understood something. She coldly smiled at N¨¦e Bai, ¡°Bai Yiniang, there¡¯s movement inside your room. Do you think the poisonous snake is still inside? Someone,e. Find the poisonous snake inside for me.¡±

    They didn¡¯t find a snake, but they found a man. Wang Shengmin¡¯s clothes were also disheveled. His face also turned green and he too fainted.

    This was interesting. N¨¦e Bai insisted that her daughter left. But now her daughter came out of N¨¦e Bai¡¯s bedroom. Not only that, but her half-brother Wang Shengmin, from the same father, was also in the bedroom.

    Although they were siblings, this was the ancient times. Even a seven-year-old daughter and her father couldn¡¯t share the same seat. But the twenty-one-year-old Wang Shengmin and the seventeen-year-old Wang Yiping were alone and in their yiniang¡¯s bedroom. Also, their clothes were disheveled and they were both bitten by a poisonous snake...

    Hey... it was really hard for people to not let their imaginations run wild.

    At this time, the houseguests saw that Duke Yingguo fu¡¯s servants brought a doctor and hurriedly rushed towards N¨¦e Bai¡¯s courtyard. They said that Eighth Xiaojie and Fifth Shaoye [young master, lord i.e. Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin] were bitten by a poisonous snake. Out of concern, the houseguests all came to N¨¦e Bai¡¯s courtyard.

    Zi You was shedding tears, while treating Wang Yiping¡¯s snake bite.

    N¨¦e Bai was anxious. She loudly shouted, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking Eighth Xiaojie into the house?¡±

    The servants were about to move Wang Yiping into the house, but Zi You tearfully stopped them. ¡°You can¡¯t move her. The venom will flow through the bloodstream even faster. Give me a torch and knife. I will treat mother¡¯s wound! Wuu...¡±

 Chapter 97 Part 2/9

    <h4>Chapter 97 Part 2/9</h4>

    As Zi You was crying, she was secretlyughing. Slut! I will have you expose your thigh in public. I¡¯ll let people know how licentious you are. After I died in my previous life, you ckened my name. In this lifetime, I will return it all back to you and Yu Lanxuan.

    Duke Yingguo furen heard that Zi You needed fire. She immediately turned to the servants. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing what my granddaughter said?¡±

    N¨¦e Bai rushed to intervene. ¡°Does a child know how to treat snake bites? Hurry and get a doctor!¡±

    Zi You stared hard at her. While pretending to cry in distress, Zi You pulled two pills out of her pouch. She fed one to Wang Yiping and gave the other one to Duke Yingguo furen. ¡°Quickly feed this to uncle [Wang Shengmin because he¡¯s Wang Yiping¡¯s brother].¡±

    Then she sharply shouted, ¡°If you wait for the doctor to get here, mother will die from the venom. It¡¯s N¨¦e Bai¡¯s fault. If you didn¡¯t say that mother wasn¡¯t at your ce and that she left already, wouldn¡¯t we have found her sooner? Mother might not have been bitten by a snake. I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t know there are two adults in your bedroom.¡±

    The houseguests figured out what happened with Zi You¡¯s shout. They immediately started whispering in low voices. ¡°One man and one woman, even if they are siblings, can¡¯t stay in a bedroom alone together. What were they doing in the bedroom?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? They were bitten on their thighs. How can it be so coincidental?¡±

    ¡°Maybe a guilty conscience? Why would Bai Yiniang need to hide it from Mu Xiaojie?¡±

    Amidst the discussions, Duke Yingguo fu¡¯s servants brought a torch and knife over.

    Zi You took the items and loudly shouted, ¡°Endure the pain, mother. Daughter will save you now.¡±

 Chapter 97.3

    <h4>Chapter 97.3</h4>

    Then she tore open Wang Yiping pants, exposing half of her thigh. She sterilized the knife by burning it on the torch. Then she cut ording to the snake¡¯s fang marks.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Although Wang Yiping was poisoned, she was in a half state of awareness. Zi You¡¯s cuts made her wake up from pain and she shouted out.

    Zi You made four cuts on her thigh. Then she started to squeeze blood out. Finally, she scalded the wounds. Afterwards she turned to Duke Yingguo furen. ¡°Waipo, men and woman should maintain distance. Have someone use my method to treat uncle. Maybe he can be saved. If it¡¯s toote, it will be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Duke Yingguo furen was enjoying herself immensely. She said to her biological son Wang Huamin, ¡°Go to your brother and save him ording to your niece¡¯s method.¡± She wasughing in her heart.

    When the imperial doctor arrived, the two people¡¯s wounds were properly treated already.

    The imperial doctor looked at the wounds and took their pulses. Then he asked in surprise, ¡°The poison has been treated. The method seems to be more appropriate than my own. Can I dare ask which gentleman provided treatment?¡±

    Taizi and Shangguan LingRan both pricked up their ears.

    Zi You stepped forwards and lightly curtsied. She replied, ¡°Paying respects to this official. I¡¯m the one who saved mother.¡±

    The imperial doctor did not think that the person was a little guniang. He was momentarily stunned.

    Taizi saw and immediately separated from the onlookers. He went from the back of the crowd to the front. The eyes he looked at Zi You with were as gentle as spring water. ¡°Mu Xiaojie¡¯s medical skills are really superb. Where did you learn them from?¡±

 Chapter 97.4

    <h4>Chapter 97.4</h4>

    Zi You bowed and replied, ¡°Thanking Taizi for the praise. But Chennu is not worthy. Chennu¡¯s medical skills are very far off from Chennu¡¯s mother.¡±

    Taizi¡¯s eyes were full of admiration. ¡°En, not arrogant. You¡¯re certainly worthy of being a military family¡¯s descendant. How did your mother know how to treat poisonous snake bites?¡±

    Zi You calmly and unhurriedly replied, ¡°My mother once lived in Nanjiang. Poisonous snakes roamed free there. Almost everyone knew how to treat snake bites. It¡¯s nothing strange. My mother was originally a doctor. She naturally had to master all sorts of medicals skills. How could she treat people otherwise?¡±

    Yu Meilian immediately asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that your mother was not from Nanjiang?¡±

    Zi You looked mockingly at her. She coldly smiled, ¡°Are Yu Xiaojie¡¯s ears hard of hearing? Should Zi You help you check them? Those who lived in Nanjiang must be Nanjiang citizens? Then those who live in the capital must be from the capital? Other people can¡¯te to live here? Tens of thousands of Great Yan citizens live in Nanjiang. My mother was just one of them.¡±

    ¡°Then you aren¡¯t afraid of snakes?¡± Taizi continued to ask. An unknown light shed in his peach blossom eyes.

    Zi You¡¯s heart was rmed. Was the person fromst night sent by Taizi?

    She was about to answer, but Old General Mu arrived. After paying respects to Taizi, he immediately looked his granddaughter over. He asked worriedly, ¡°You¡¯er, are you okay?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. Her gem-like eyes emitted two ice lotus flowers. ¡°You¡¯er is fine, but mother was bitten by a poisonous snake.¡±

    When Old General Mu was rushing over, he had already heard the whole story.

    But he did not think that his daughter-inw would be so shameless to *** with her brother. However, the fact that his daughter-inw was with her brother in their yiniang¡¯s bedroom with their clothes disheveled and both bitten by a snake, made him suspicious.

 Chapter 97.5

    <h4>Chapter 97.5</h4>

    Old General Mu¡¯s face was very ugly. He said to a servant, ¡°Bring First Furen back to the Manor. I want to personally ask my rtive-inw some questions.¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen looked at Old General Mu¡¯s gloomy face and cold aura and was a little nervous and afraid.

    She let out a smile uglier than crying. ¡°Please ask, rtive-inw. I won¡¯t hide anything from you.¡±

    Old General Mu nodded. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s sit down and invite Duke Yingguo out too. I have some words that I must say to you.¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen¡¯s face turned more awkward. She fiercely red at N¨¦e Bai. Then she said to some servants, ¡°Invite Laoye [Duke Yingguo] and rtive-inw Laoye to the study.¡±

    At the study, Duke Yingguo was also there. He foolishly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Wasn¡¯t rtive-inw too busy toe for the banquet? Why are you here?¡±

    Old General Mu had always looked down on Duke Yingguo. It wasn¡¯t because thetter¡¯s family was in decline, but rather because he was lustful and improper.

    Therefore, Old General Mu used the excuse that he had military duties to note to the banquet. But the guards around N¨¦e Liu ran back to report that: ¡°Lao TaiYe, First Furen was bitten by a snake. Xiaojie is currently providing treatment. Second Furen asks this servant to invite Lao TaiYe and Second Laoye over.¡±

    Old General Mu came over, not because he was worried about his daughter-inw¡¯s injuries, but because he was worried that Zi You wouldn¡¯t be able to handle Duke Yingguo fu bullying her if Wang Yiping was in some trouble.

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t answer Duke Yingguo¡¯s question. He directly asked, ¡°Excuse me. What are the rules for Duke Yingguo fu? A daughter who married can stay in the same bedroom with her brother and their yiniang doesn¡¯t know? What can a brother and sister have to talk about that they can¡¯t discuss outside in public? How can they both be bitten by a poisonous snake? Where did a poisonous snakee from in a bedroom?¡±

 Chapter 97.6

    <h4>Chapter 97.6</h4>

    Duke Yingguo looked at his furen. She immediately smiled evilly. ¡°Laoye, don¡¯t look at bieqie [this concubine]! Go ask your beloved qie, Bai Yiniang. From beginning to the end, it¡¯s her, your precious daughter, and your precious son¡¯s doing. She was the one who didn¡¯t let your granddaughter [Zi You] into the house to look for your precious daughter. She was also the one who said that Ping¡¯er left her courtyard. Laoye, why don¡¯t we ask Bai Yiniang toe over and ask her what happened?¡±

    Finally, Bai Yiniang was called over and she pushed all the me onto Liu Yanhong. ¡°It¡¯s all this darned yatou¡¯s fault. She received silvers from Fifth Shaoye and brought Ping¡¯er to bieqie¡¯s ce.¡±

    ¡°Then why did Fifth Shaoye trick his sister to the room?¡± Old General Mu asked in puzzlement. His sharp eyes looked at Liu Yanhong and Bai Yiniang.

    Liu Yanhong was scared until kowtowing. She stammered as she exined, ¡°Fifth Shaoye likes... likes Mu Xiaojie... Mu Xiaojie¡¯s maidservant, ShiYun guniang. He wanted Eighth Xiaojie [Wang Yiping] to marry ShiYun to him as a concubine. He also used a poisonous snake to threaten Eighth Xiaojie... Who knew that he lost control and they were both bitten?¡±

    ¡°Animal!¡± Old General Mu scolded. ¡°He is You¡¯er¡¯s uncle. How can he be so preposterous and shameless?¡±

    Duke Yingguo and his furen both apologized. Bai Yiniang tearfully hit Liu Yanhong. ¡°You darned yatou! Did I not give you enough gold and silvers? Why are you greedy? Why did you help Fifth Shaoye? Speak, speak!¡±

    Zi You looked at Duke Yingguo fu¡¯s performance and couldn¡¯t help but secretly sneer. This Bai Yiniang was a character. She could actuallye up with such an idea in a short period of time. Since Wang Shengmin was still unconscious from the poison, she med it all on him. Then she pointed the spearhead at her maidservant. This was still better than letting it be known that the siblings were ***. This way, she could also strike at Zi You.

 Chapter 97.7

    <h4>Chapter 97.7</h4>

    What a good idea. But this is good too. Let¡¯s slowly y. It won¡¯t be interesting if you die so soon.

    Zi You put on an aggrieved expression and tearfully said, ¡°You¡¯er has been to Waipo¡¯s house a few times with mother and brought ShiYun every time. But You¡¯er has been with Waipo those few times and have never seen Fifth Shaoye. How can Fifth Shaoye... how can he...?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words reminded Old General Mu. Old General Mu immediately smiled coldly and asked, ¡°Right. That is hard to believe. Your fu¡¯s Fifth Shaoye had never seen You¡¯er, so how can he like You¡¯er¡¯s maidservant? You are a Duke and your fu should have a sense of propriety, justice, integrity, and honor. So what is this mess? This general seriously questions your family¡¯s upbringing. Our two families shouldn¡¯t maintain contact anymore. Please excuse this general for no longer agreeing to his first daughter-inw and You¡¯ering over to your fu, other than for holidays.¡±

    Duke Yingguo thickened his face and shouted anxiously, ¡°Rtive-inw, rtive-inw, don¡¯t be angry. This is my one son¡¯s fault. You can¡¯t scold my whole fu¡¯s people. Especially Ping¡¯er. She¡¯s my obedient daughter and pearl in my palm. Marrying her to be your son¡¯s concubine is already doing her wrong...¡±

    ¡°Okay, if you feel that we¡¯re doing her wrong, then take her back. Our Mu fu doesn¡¯t want her!¡± Old General Mu fiercely interrupted Duke Yingguo¡¯s words.

    Then he held Zi You¡¯s arms and coldly said, ¡°An obedient daughter will beat and hit her husband¡¯s deceased wife¡¯s daughter and hurt You¡¯er¡¯s arms. You think that if she wasn¡¯t young and that sending her back to her maiden family would ruin her life, our Mu fu want such an unvirtuous and unworthy daughter-inw?¡±

    Zi You immediately pretended to be cute and loveable. She lightly tugged her grandfather¡¯s clothing. She softly said, ¡°Forget it, grandfather. Mother couldn¡¯t stand seeing father taking in another yiniang. She was momentarily anxious... Ultimately, it¡¯s because mother really values father. Grandfather, forgive her.¡±

 Chapter 97.8

    <h4>Chapter 97.8</h4>

    Duke Yingguo furen heard that Wang Yiping beat Zi You because Mu YingRui took in a concubine. She immediately eximed in exaggeration, ¡°My good granddaughter, let Waipo take a look. How can such a thing happen? Heavens! How can that darned yatou be so jealous and unvirtuous? Her husband taking in concubines is right and proper. She not only shouldn¡¯t have stopped him, but should have taken the initiative for her husband. Why did she beat you?¡±

    Duke Yingguo was extremely embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t be angry at Old General Mu and could only yell at his wife. ¡°Why do you have toment on everything?¡±

    For many years, Duke Yingguo did not put his furen in his eyes. He was truly a muddleheaded person so favored the concubine and neglected the wife. Duke Yingguo furen was usually helpless when there were no outsiders around. But since Old General Mu was here today, she wanted to cause a disturbance and vent the anger in her heart.

    Duke Yingguo furen looked at Duke Yingguo bitterly and hatefully. She lowered her voice, ¡°You¡¯ve said it before. We can¡¯t defend or spoil. Look at Ping¡¯er and her yiniang. What did Laoye spoil them into? She married into the General¡¯s Manor and is still so arrogant and overbearing. Even rtive-inw is angered into wanting to divorce your precious daughter. You still won¡¯t let me say anything. You¡¯re the one truly favoring the concubine and neglecting the wife.¡±

    Zi You quickly went in front of Duke Yingguo furen and took a handkerchief to wipe her tears. Using her martial arts, she whispered in her ear, ¡°If Waipo wants to vent her anger, do what I say.¡±

    After she finished, her voice turned louder and looked sympathetically at Duke Yingguo furen. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Waipo. Once You¡¯er grows up, You¡¯er will take good care of you. Waipo, You¡¯er wants to ask a question. This maidservant called Liu Yanhong hasmitted such a big mistake. How are you going to punish her?¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen was reminded by Zi You twice. She immediately and loudly said, ¡°Such a darned greedy yatou. We don¡¯t dare to keep her here. Just sell her.¡±

 Chapter 97.9

    <h4>Chapter 97.9</h4>

    Zi You looked coldly at Liu Yanhong. Then she said to Duke Yingguo furen, ¡°Then sell her to me, Waipo. She deceived mother and caused mother to be bitten by a snake. I want to avenge mother.¡±

    Bai Yiniang was anxious. She coquettishly said to Duke Yingguo, ¡°Laoye, bieqie also wants to avenge Eighth Xiaojie. This yatou had been by bieqie¡¯s side. Bieqie had never mistreated her. Bieqie wants to ask her why she betrayed bieqie.¡±

    Zi You knew Bai Yiniang¡¯s intentions. She wanted to protect this darned yatou. I don¡¯t think so.

    Zi You immediately said to Duke Yingguo furen, ¡°Waipo, you¡¯re the female master of Duke Yingguo fu. How can you let a concubine be so impudent in front of guests? No wonder you think Waigong favors the concubine and neglects the wife. Zi You will plead injustice for Waigong. As granddaughter sees it, this is entirely your responsibility. If a concubine dares to be unruly in our General¡¯s Manor, we would carry out the familyws.¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen was exceedingly happy. She shouted, ¡°Come, Bai Yiniang broke the rules. Carry out the familyws.¡±

    Duke Yingguo was distressed. He started to stop her, but Zi You stepped in front of him. She whispered in reminder, ¡°Does Waigong want to be used of misconduct by the imperial censor again? Is it worth it for a little concubine?¡±

    Old General Mu understood his granddaughter¡¯s intentions. He went forwards to hold onto Duke Yingguo¡¯s other arm. He urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I still have to settle ounts with you. Don¡¯t just stay here.¡±

    Old General Mu practiced martial arts, while Duke Yingguo was a civil servant. How could thetter shake him off? He was herded out like a little chick by Old General Mu.

    Zi You saw that Duke Yingguo left, so she smiled at Duke Yingguo furen. ¡°Waipo, you¡¯re doing the right thing. You can¡¯t be softhearted when you should be firm. Granddaughter will take this Liu Yanhong away and send you the silvers tomorrow. By the way, how much is she worth?¡±

    Duke Yingguo furen was a fan of money. She quickly replied, ¡°100 silvers.¡±

    Zi You pretended to be shocked and loudly eximed, ¡°Ah! So expensive? Can a ve dealer afford her?¡± She shook her head as she left.

    Duke Yingguo furen was left behind with a red face. She looked angrily at Bai Yiniang, ready to vent all her anger on her.

    Liu Yanhong was brought to the General¡¯s Manor and was not as calm.

 Chapter 98 The Cat-and-Mouse Game Has Just Begun Part 1/4

    <h4>Chapter 98 The Cat-and-Mouse Game Has Just Begun Part 1/4</h4>

    A fifteen-year-old yatou knelt in front of Zi You, watching Zi You leisurely drink tea. Zi You didn¡¯t ask her questions or interrogate her. The yatou felt a pressure like she never had before. Cold sweat fell down her face like rain.

    She tearfully and anxiously asked, ¡°What does Xiaojie want to do?¡±

    After thirty minutes, Zi You finally put her teacup down. Shezily said, ¡°I wanted to save you. I¡¯m kind and don¡¯t like seeing people suffer. The matters today originally had nothing to do with you, but you were beaten, scolded, and sold. Aren¡¯t you angry? Don¡¯t you feel mistreated?¡±

    Liu Yanhong thought about how her parents, younger brother, and younger sister were still in N¨¦e Bai¡¯s hands. She could only shake her head and said in a small voice, ¡°It was Nubi who was greedy. Nubi doesn¡¯t feel mistreated.¡±

    Zi You lightly smiled, as seductively as a ck poppy at night. Her voice was gentle like springtime. But all this made Liu Yanhong feel cold from the inside out. ¡°Is that so? Then mother being bitten by a snake is all thanks to you. Okay, then I will throw you into a snake pit. I¡¯ll let you experience being bitten by tens of thousands of poisonous snakes. How about it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± The little yatou shrilly screamed in fear. ¡°Nubi was wrongly used. Nubi was wrongly used. Wuu... In fact, Nubi did not know that Eighth Xiaojie and Fifth Shaoye were in Bai Yiniang¡¯s bedroom. It was Bai Yiniang who used Nubi¡¯s family to threat Nubi and have Nubi lie.¡±

    Zi You leaned back in her chair. She looked at this aplice who harmed her and caused her miserable death in her previous life. She casually yed with the weapon in her hands.

    She gave this weapon a very pleasant-sounding name: Flying Blood Ring.

    A ring with a chain was on her finger. When the ring flew out, the mechanism was triggered. Sixteen des of knives would fly out. Each de would slice the target into bloody pieces.

    If it was on your head, your body would say goodbye to your head forever.

    This had the same premise as Qing Dynasty¡¯s Yongzheng Emperor¡¯s ¡°Xuedizi [legendary mythical weapon].¡± But Zi You¡¯s Flying Blood Ring was cleverer and more overbearing.

 Chapter 98.2

    <h4>Chapter 98.2</h4>

    Liu Yanhong did not know martial arts so she did not see how Zi You sent the shiny ring in her hands flying out. She saw a silver sh and a dead mouse whose head was severed from its body fell in front of her. Soon, seven or eight dead mice fell around her, scaring her out of her mind and causing her to urinate over herself.

    Zi You¡¯s maidservantsughed.

    While ying, Zi You asked, ¡°Does your Eighth Xiaojie meet with Fifth Shaoye every time she goes to the fu? What is their rtionship?¡±

    Liu Yanhong looked at the smiling girl in front of her as if she was looking at a demon. How could she dare to hide anything? She could only cry in her heart, ¡®Father, mother, it¡¯s not that daughter doesn¡¯t care about you. It¡¯s that daughter fell into the hands of a female devil. Daughter doesn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    She then truthfully replied, ¡°Eighth Xiaojie and Fifth Shaoye... long before Eighth Xiaojie married, they already had an intimate rtionship... Intimate rtionship of the flesh. Eighth Xiaojie can marry your father only due to Eighth Xiaojie, Fifth Shaoye, and Bai Yiniang¡¯s scheme. At first, your father liked Eighth Xiaojie, but your grandfather objected so he turned down Eighth Xiaojie. Butter Eighth Xiaojie got your father drunk and did... that. Your father had no choice but to ask your grandfather to marry Eighth Xiaojie again. Actually, the virgin blood then was chicken blood. When she was thirteen, Eighth Xiaojie had already... been yed with by Fifth Shaoye. Fifth Shaoye and Bai Yiniang also have a rtionship. They said that if Nubi reveals the truth, Fifth Shaoye would destroy Nubi¡¯s innocence. If Nubi dared to betray them, they would kill Nubi¡¯s family. Xiaojie, Nubi did not lie to you. Nubi really had no choice, but to... but to lie.¡±

    They were really shameless! Mother and daughter were sluts! Zi You sneered scornfully. She continued to ask, ¡°What is the rtionship between Imperial Doctor Qin, mother, and Bai Yiniang?¡±

    Liu Yanhong was startled. She looked up at Zi You to see herzily reclining on her chair, with a gentle smile on her face. Liu Yanhong didn¡¯t know why she felt very scared. She quickly lowered her head and quietly replied, ¡°He is also Bai Yiniang and Eighth Xiaojie¡¯s lover. However, Bai Yiniang doesn¡¯t know that Eighth Xiaojie and Imperial Doctor Qin had an affair. Nubi also inadvertently found out. Once, Eighth Xiaojie was sick. Laoye invited Imperial Doctor Qin to treat Eighth Xiaojie. Nubi personally saw that while taking her pulse, Imperial Doctor Qin stuffed a note into Eighth Xiaojie¡¯s hand. Nubi was suspicious so Nubi paid close attention to Eighth Xiaojie and Imperial Doctor Qin. That¡¯s how Nubi discovered their affair.¡±

 Chapter 98.3

    <h4>Chapter 98.3</h4>

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but want tough. She didn¡¯t expect that Mu YingRui¡¯s beloved furen was so promiscuous and licentious that she made him a cuckold with so many people.

    Interesting. But how did that woman not get pregnant from sleeping with so many men?

    Come to think of it. Wang Yiping in her previous life seemed to have been taking tonics to nurture her body. Imperial Doctor Qin prescribed the medicines. It seemed like there must be more to the story.

    ¡°Your Eighth Xiaojie is not afraid of getting pregnant?¡± Zi You continued to ask.

    Liu Yanhong bit her lips and muttered, ¡°Eighth Xiaojie was always consuming contraceptive medicines. Thest time she returned, Eighth Xiaojie asked Imperial Doctor Qin for a solution. She had not gotten pregnant since she was married. Imperial Doctor Qin told her that she consumed the contraceptive medicines for too long and it was inadvisable for her to get pregnant. Eighth Xiaojie was so anxious she started crying. Imperial Doctor Qin had to coax her for a long time and promised to nurture her body before she stopped.¡±

    Coax? Onto the bed? Zi Youughed in ridicule. Then she said to Liu Yanhong, ¡°You are my personal maidservant from now on. Don¡¯t tell anyone what happened today. Work for me obediently and I will think of a way to rescue your family from N¨¦e Bai and reunite you with them. Otherwise, the dead mice in front of you will be your family¡¯s ending.¡±

    Liu Yanhong shuddered and nodded to show her loyalty. ¡°Nubi will remember Xiaojie¡¯s orders.¡±

    Zi Youzily nodded. ¡°En. I bought you with the excuse of avenging mother, so I cannot treat you well in the near future. Otherwise, others will be suspicious. You can be a rough-work maidservant and do rougher work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Xiaojie.¡± Liu Yanhong secretlymented over her unluckiness. She was a first-rank maidservant with Bai Yiniang and had two maidservants who waited on her. She already experienced being waited on. How could she be willing to do rough work?

    Zi You saw her lowered head. How could she not know what Liu Yanhong was thinking? She continued slowly, ¡°It¡¯s only temporary. After a while, I will promote you to second-rank maidservant. I will think of a way to send you to Furen¡¯s [Wang Yiping] side. You must seize the opportunity to catch Laoye¡¯s [Mu YingRui] attention. I will find a way for you to be Sixth Yiniang.¡±

 Chapter 98.4

    <h4>Chapter 98.4</h4>

    Liu Yanhong was very happy. She kowtowed gratefully. ¡°Nubi thank you, Xiaojie!¡±

    Zi You waved her hand and slowly said, ¡°Furen knows about you and is easily jealous. Fifth Yiniang had not officially held a wedding ceremony with my father yet and was tortured half to death by Furen. It is up to you how you get along with Furenter. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    Liu Yanhong gritted her teeth and answered, ¡°Rest assured, Xiaojie. Nubi will not let Xiaojie down.¡±

    ¡°En. MoYun, take her to her room. After she¡¯s settled in, bring her to Furen¡¯s for her orders.¡± Zi You walked outside as she talked.

    Nanny Luo waited until MoYun left with Liu Yanhong. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Xiaojie tell Lao TaiYe the matter of Furen¡¯s adultery? To think that she wanted to talk about etiquette and rules in front of Xiaojie!¡±

    Since Wang Yiping injured Zi You, Nanny Luo hated Wang Yiping. Now that she heard that she was such a slut, she was even more angered.

    Zi You looked her suppressing her anger and lightly smiled. ¡°A cat chasing a mouse wouldn¡¯t immediately eat it. It would y for a long time before eating. If we get rid of her, who knows what kind of woman Laoye would bring back? If I have to investigate from the beginning, I rather deal with this one. Don¡¯t be angry. Watch how I will take care of her. The cat-and-mouse game has just begun.¡±

    Nanny Luo let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

    Zi You returned to Hundred Herb Garden. She concocted a medicine that can promote pregnancy. She told ShiYun, ¡°Boil it personally and don¡¯t leave. Give it to me when it¡¯s done. Throw the dregs away and don¡¯t let anyone see.¡±

    Slut! The medicine I give you will make you pregnant with Wang Shengmin or Imperial Doctor Qin¡¯s child. If Laoye is suspicious, no matter how much you lie, you won¡¯t be able to exin.

    You used me of adultery in my previous life. I will return the favor this lifetime. I want the whole world to ridicule you. It¡¯s best if you and your lover are stripped naked and drowned in a wicker basket!

    Zi You covered up her hatred. She took the medicine ShiYun brought over and took it to Wang Yiping¡¯s room.

    Zi You didn¡¯t use a lot of poison so Wang Yiping was already awake. But dizziness, nausea, and pain from her thigh tormented her miserably.

    With a face of concern and sadness, Zi You walked over to her bed and softly asked, ¡°Are you in pain, mother? Daughter brought that darned Liu Yanhong back. She caused you so much suffering. Daughter will definitely avenge you. Daughter will have her kneel in your courtyard for three days and nights.¡±

    She then took her pulse. A quarter of an hourter, she pped her hands. ¡°Thank goodness... the snake venom in mother¡¯s body is gone. As long as mother consumes the medicine daughter concocted, you will get better.¡±

 Chapter 99 The Malicious Woman Has Evil Thoughts Again [1] Part 1/5

    <h4>Chapter 99 The Malicious Woman Has Evil Thoughts Again [1] Part 1/5</h4>

    She took a bit of the medicine and tasted it. Then Zi You helped Wang Yiping up. ¡°The temperature is just right. Come, mother. Drink the medicine.¡±

    Wang Yiping pushed it away. She said weakly, ¡°Have Imperial Doctor Qine over. It¡¯s not that mother doesn¡¯t trust you, but you just started studying medicine. Can you do it?¡±

    Nee Liu walked in and heard her words. She was immediately displeased. ¡°Sister-inw, you really shouldn¡¯t suspect You¡¯er¡¯s medical skills. If not for her, you and your brother would have died from venom. The doctor even said that it was fortunate You¡¯er treated you in time. Also, You¡¯er¡¯s prescription is very proper. It¡¯s even more meticulous in consideration than his own. You don¡¯t know how scared You¡¯er was when she saw you bitten by a snake today. Seriously, if I have such a filial daughter, I willugh in my sleep.¡±

    Since Nee Liu said so much, Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t insist anymore. She could only gulp the medicine down.

    Zi You considerately put a candied fruit in her mouth. She sweetly said, ¡°Father wanted to tell you to take care of yourself. He can¡¯t get up so he can¡¯te see you. He tells you not to get angry. Mother, daughter will tell you a story now. Sleep well after you hear it. It won¡¯t hurt when you¡¯re asleep. Once upon a time...¡±

    Zi You added sleeping agents to the medicine. Wang Yiping indeed fell asleep shortly. Zi You tucked her quilt in and walked outside.

    Outside, ShiYun deliberately lowered her voice, but Wang Yiping¡¯s maidservants still heard her. ¡°Xiaojie, why did you lie to First Furen? First Laoye listened to the yiniangs¡¯ words and knew that First Furen was bitten by a snake. He clearly and angrily scolded, ¡®Why didn¡¯t it bite her to death? Slut!¡¯ But since you lied to her, what will we do if Laoye neveres to see Furen?¡±

    Zi You seemingly sighed and faintly said, ¡°What else can I do? Poor mother! If she finds out father said such words, how can she be at ease to recuperate? Father, really... how can he listen to those yiniangs? Ai...¡±

 Chapter 99.2

    <h4>Chapter 99.2</h4>

    Wang Yiping¡¯s maidservant Liulu and Nanny Song heard these words. They waited until Wang Yiping woke up and told her every word. Wang Yiping was furious. She hated Mu YingRui even more.

    Zi You left and went to Mu YingRui¡¯s study.

    Mu YingRui looked at her red eyes and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is it? Did your mother scold you again?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. She said with a face full of guilt, ¡°me me for my poor medical skills. I can¡¯t help mother immediately to alleviate her pain. That¡¯s why mother didn¡¯t believe You¡¯er and refuses to drink You¡¯er¡¯s prescribed medicine. Father, I really hate that Wang Shengmin! The snake bite just happened to be on the thigh area. No wonder people were suspicious. Fortunately, mother was unconscious at the time. If she was awake, wouldn¡¯t she be angered to death? Even I can¡¯t listen to such disgusting words.¡±

    Mu YingRui thought of his father telling him with a displeased face: ¡°Your wife can really cause trouble! After returning to her maiden family, she not only threw You¡¯er aside, but stayed in her yiniang¡¯s room alone with her brother. I don¡¯t even know what happened, but the two can both be bitten on their thighs by a poisonous snake. Fortunately, You¡¯er found her in time and saved her. Otherwise, she would have died. At the very least, she¡¯s from a noble household. Doesn¡¯t she know that men and women should maintain distance? She needs to avoid him even if he is her own brother!¡±

    Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t help but frown. He asked suspiciously, ¡°When you saw your mother, were her clothes tidy?¡±

    Zi You thought for a bit. She nkly shook her head. ¡°Daughter was focused on providing treatment and didn¡¯t pay attention.¡±

    Shui YouLian said in a small voice, ¡°Laoye, don¡¯t ask Xiaojie that. Xiaojie is still young. What does she know? Laoye should ask older maidservants.¡±

    Then she smiled at Zi You. ¡°Xiaojie, you¡¯re really kind! You¡¯re so thoughtful towards others. Anyone who thinks you have a bad heart is immoral.¡±

 Chapter 99.3

    <h4>Chapter 99.3</h4>

    Zi You smiled modestly. ¡°Mother saved You¡¯er¡¯s life. You¡¯er should be good to mother.¡±

    She then lightly curtsied. She said to Mu YingRui, ¡°Father, you can rest assured and focus on recuperating. I will take good care of mother.¡±

    After Zi You left, Mu YingRui immediately asked Shui YouLian, ¡°Did you hear someone say something?¡±

    Shui YouLian pretended to have a guilty conscience. She said evasively, ¡°No. Lian¡¯er is here taking care of Laoye every day. What can Lian¡¯er hear?¡±

    ¡°No, your words obviously held a different meaning earlier.¡± Mu YingRui looked at Shui YouLian. He grabbed her arm and asked, ¡°Tell Ye. What do you know?¡±

    Shui YouLian hesitated. She reluctantly said, ¡°Laoye, your injuries aren¡¯t healed yet... Listening... why would you want to listen to this nonsense? It¡¯s better you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Hurry and tell Ye.¡± The more she was like this, the more Mu YingRui wanted to know. He apparently lost his patience. His voice raised an octave.

    Shui YouLian rushed over. She tearfully patted his chest. Feigning anger, she said, ¡°Why so impatient? Lian¡¯er will say it. Don¡¯t be angry, Laoye. Lian¡¯er... Lian¡¯er will be distressed.¡±

    After Mu YingRui was caressed by such a charming and delicate beauty, his anger dissipated a lot. His voice was also gentler. ¡°Hurry and tell Ye. Ye doesn¡¯t want to be confused and treated like a monkey.¡±

    Mu YingRui thought about that time he was drunk at Duke Yingguo fu. Wang Shengmin helped him into a warm room. He woke up to find Wang Yiping naked and lying in the same bed as him. There were spots of red blossoms on the bedsheets.

    Truthfully, he was dazed and confused and had a wet dream. He wasn¡¯t very clear on whether he had intercourse with Wang Yiping or not.

 Chapter 99.4

    <h4>Chapter 99.4</h4>

    It was actually Wang Shengmin who helped him into the room. What exactly was the rtionship between this man and Wang Yiping? Why was he involved everytime?

    Such a coincidence, with so many suspicious points. Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious.

    Shui YouLian came from a brothel. Observing and understanding bodynguage was a must. Once she saw a nonprehending, gloomy light in Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes, she knew that Mu YingRui had grown suspicious about Wang Yiping.

    Once trust between a husband and wife was broken, their rtionship would soon have troubles.

    Shui YouLian¡¯s heart was happy, but she had an exceedingly indignant expression on her face. ¡°It wasn¡¯t only Furen¡¯s maidservants who went today. Second Furen, Xiaojie, and her maidservants also went. They said that Furen could be saved thanks to Xiaojie. Without her searching for Furen and her decisive treatment, Furen would be in a dangerous situation. But Furen¡¯s maidservant spread rumors that the snake that bit Furen was raised by Laoye¡¯s deceased furen. Xiaojie released the snake to bite Furen. These words made Lian¡¯er feel bad for Xiaojie. If this was really the case, then Xiaojie didn¡¯t need to save Furen. Why would Xiaojie save her? Isn¡¯t that superfluous?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! That snake is long gone,¡± Mu YingRui scolded.

    Shui YouLian continued to say, ¡°Yes, the other maidservants said that Furen came out of her yiniang¡¯s room with her clothes disheveled and hair untidy. Furen¡¯s brother was like that too. He didn¡¯t even wear socks on his feet. Besides, if you were sitting properly, how can a snake bite you on your thigh? And once bite, it bit two people. Could the two be dead asleep? One person was bitten and the other couldn¡¯t evade it?¡±

    ¡°Slut!¡± Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes held an ominous glint, as he yelled. ¡°If she dares to deceive me, I¡¯ll divorce her and make you the main wife.¡±

 Chapter 99.5

    <h4>Chapter 99.5</h4>

    Shui YouLian¡¯s heart sneered, but her expression was gentle. Her voice became more enchanting, ¡°It is Lian¡¯er¡¯s blessing to meet Laoye. Lian¡¯er is very content just to be by Laoye¡¯s side like this. Lian¡¯er dare not ask for anything else. With Laoye¡¯s family background, talents, and character, Laoye is worthy of a noble xiaojie.¡±

    Mu YingRui loved hearing these words. He caressed Shui YouLian and his ** rose up. He gloomily howled, ¡°My punishment by the boards is all that slut¡¯s fault. I can¡¯t sleep with you now.¡±

    Shui YouLian secretly scolded him as a rogue. She pretended to be bashful and started to massage Mu YingRui again.

    With Shui YouLian¡¯s work and constant influx of information, it would be strange if Mu YingRui would have a good impression of Wang Yiping again.

    As for that Liu Yanhong, Zi You had her kneel in Wang Yiping¡¯s courtyard. Her kneeling angered Wang Yiping into hupping. Afterwards, the ce that Weishali bit started hurting as much as if her heart was being drilled.

    She could not have Liu Yanhong get up, because Mu Zi You was taking revenge for her. But that yatou kneeling there was a constant reminder of the humiliation she suffered today.

    Thinking that Liu Yanhong was her mother Bai Yiniang¡¯s nurtured confidant and maidservant, she was even more distressed and loathing.

    Three dayster, Wang Yiping¡¯s sister, Yu Lanxuan¡¯s mother, came with Yu Lanxuan to visit Wang Yiping.

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s mother Wang Yaping was older than her sister by ten years. She was twenty-six years old this year and looked a lot like Bai Yiniang.

    Zi You felt that Nee Bai and her two daughters not only looked beautiful, but they were also very charming. They had an air of enchantment and carelessness about them that noble xiaojies did not have.

    Maybe because of this, they attracted men in droves. It seemed like most men like this.

    Wang Yiping looked at her sister and immediately was aggrieved. ¡°Jiejie, meimei was framed. That day, fifth brother had something to discuss with me. He wanted to borrow money from me. But you know that I wasn¡¯t in charge of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Your brother-inw¡¯s money isn¡¯t in my hands either. Where would I get money? Fifth brother knelt to beg me. How can I have him kneel to me? I bent to help him, but unluckily the poisonous snake bit the both of us.¡±

 Chapter 100 The Malicious Woman Has Evil Thoughts Again [2] Part 1/5

    <h4>Chapter 100 The Malicious Woman Has Evil Thoughts Again [2] Part 1/5</h4>

    At this point, Wang Yiping turned a bit red. She paused and then continued, ¡°Yiniang was afraid that others will find out I was alone with fifth brother, so she lied and told that darned yatou I left. But that little wench had bad intentions, so she deliberately brought people toe find me. Fifth brother and I dared note out. Our lives were almost lost. Jiejie, go back and tell father that he must take revenge for your meimei. I suspect that little wench let out that poisonous snake to bite us. I heard your brother-inw said that the little wench¡¯s mother raised poisonous snakes.¡±

    Wang Yaping angrily scolded, ¡°Yes, that little wench publicly insulted my Xuan¡¯er [Yu Lanxuan]. I was just about to go settle debts with her.¡±

    Wang Yiping nodded. ¡°That little wench is very malicious. She had Yanhong kneel in my courtyard that whole day. When she fainted away, that little wench finally came to beg for mercy for me to forgive Yanhong. My anger is still stuck in my throat and it¡¯s still unbearable.¡±

    Wang Yaping nodded. Her expression was fierce as she said, ¡°But father has no real power. The little wench¡¯s grandfather is a first-rank general. How can father help you? I think it¡¯s better to find a man to sneak into the little wench¡¯s room at night and rape her.¡±

    Wang Yiping smiled and nodded. She said lowly into Wang Yaping¡¯s ear, ¡°There is another way: have the old fool lose the Emperor¡¯s trust. The little wench brought fifty-plus female ves home. She said she was going to train them into female doctors. They and she would follow the old fool and young fool [Mu YingYi] onto the battlefield and protect them. Some of the female ves are daughters of criminal officials. Moreover, the old fool hoarded so many ves. If the Emperor finds out, he will surely be suspicious. Then father can have someone say some words in front of the Emperor. The old fool will certainly be doomed. Then wouldn¡¯t the little wench be at my mercy?¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s face turned more ferocious. ¡°Have father let the imperial censor know so he can censor the old fool. Huh! As long as the old fool is in trouble, the little wench can¡¯t be arrogant. Jiejie, we can kill two birds with one stone. I don¡¯t believe that we can¡¯t kill them.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also me, Aunty,¡± Yu Lanxuan viciously said. ¡°I will pretend to be friends with her and find out all her secrets. Then I will make trouble for her. I will seduce whoever she will be engaged to.¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± The three people emitted low crow-likeughter.

 Chapter 100.2

    <h4>Chapter 100.2</h4>

    No one noticed the Weishali who crawled out from beneath Wang Yiping¡¯s feet. Weishali heard the three women¡¯s vicious n. It hissed in anger. It hated that it couldn¡¯t bite the three women to death.

    You want to hurt my little master?! See how I will take care of you.

    Wang Yiping andpany¡¯s evil n was quickly known by Zi You. After these days with Weishali, the two were basically able tomunicate. Zi You was able to guess Weishali¡¯s meaning 80% of the time.

    Zi You immediately went to find her grandfather and cutely said, ¡°Grandfather, Taizi already found out that day that granddaughter is forming a female medical team. For the sake of safety and eliminating an excuse for gossip, why don¡¯t you go to the Pce and submit a memorial to the Emperor? After all, the ves were brought from the ve market. Some are rtives of criminal officials. We can¡¯t have anyone criticize, right? Grandfather?¡±

    Old General Mu also had this intention. This matter would be known sooner orter. His granddaughter was right. If the censor didn¡¯t cause amotion every day, he would be ufortable.

    Old General Mu nodded and said gratifyingly, ¡°Our You¡¯er grew up and knows how to share her grandfather¡¯s burdens. Not bad, not bad. Grandfather will go to the Pce now and report this matter to the Emperor.¡±

    When Old General Mu returned, he did not speak of how he reported it or how the Emperor reacted. Zi You also did not ask. As long as grandfather did not tell her to stop training the females, she would keep on doing it.

    On the third day, while Zi You was exining to the females about human anatomy, people from the Pce came.

    Since the Mu YingRui couple couldn¡¯t leave their beds, N¨¦e Liu could only greet them with Zi You. Coincidentally, they were looking for Zi You. ¡°The Emperor decrees that Great General Mu¡¯s Di granddaughter, Mu Zi You, enters the Pce for an audience.¡±

    The eunuch announced in a duck-like voice. Zi You sat on a pnquin and was carried into the Imperial Pce. She directly arrived at the throne room the Emperor used to meet officials.

 Chapter 100.3

    <h4>Chapter 100.3</h4>

    The eunuch opened the pnquin¡¯s door. He smiled, ¡°Would Mu Xiaojie please follow this servant?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please lead the way, gonggong [eunuch].¡± Zi You faintly felt that the reason the Emperor wanted to see her had something to do with her forming a female medical team. She curtsied and elegantly took light, dignified steps towards the throne room.

    Today, Zi You wore an ice-blue, silver-embroidered white mandara flowered dress. A light blue silk girdle with tassels was around her waist.

    Her blue-d back flowed like water. Her posture was straight and her steps were light. Under the autumn sunshine, her whole body emitted faint silver and blue brilliance. She was exquisite, elegant, and peerlessly noble. One felt ashamed of one¡¯s inferiority looking at her.

    Once she walked into the hall, everyone¡¯s eyes involuntarily followed her. The Emperor looked at his officials looking non-stop at a little yatou and helplessly shook his head.

    The little yatou was so young, but already peerless in her magnificence and capable of causing the downfall of a nation. Some people didn¡¯t have to do a thing since birth and still have a soul-hooking charm.

    Zi You bowed. Her voice was as clear and delicate as a yellow warbler out of a valley. ¡°Chennu Mu Zi You pays respects to the Emperor. Wishing Emperor lives tens of thousands of years!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t rushed or panicked, but calm and steady. The Emperor thought it was surprising. Worthy of being a military family¡¯s Di daughter. Even Zhen¡¯s [the imperial ¡°I¡±, how Emperors refer to themselves] daughters are inferiorpared to her manner and grace.

    ¡°Rise. Lift your head up. Let Zhen take a look.¡± The Emperor¡¯s voice was calm and didn¡¯t emit any emotion.

    Zi You slowly got up. Her posture was elegant and calm. Her reply was neither humble nor assertive. ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t dare. Chennu¡¯s appearance is vulgar. Chennu is afraid of startling Emperor.¡±

    The Emperor lightly smiled. ¡°Zhen pardons you.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You slowly raised her head. The Emperor took a look and was stunned silly.

    [TL Note: Finally meeting the Emperor...]

 Chapter 100.4

    <h4>Chapter 100.4</h4>

    The little girl in front of him had jet-ck hairbed into a bun on top of her in an unmarried girls¡¯ hairstyle. She had a flower in her hair. The flower was studded with star-shaped sapphires. A curved blue gemstone ne hung from her bun across her forehead.

    Her whole person was fresh and elegant, ssic and noble, and pretty as the autumn moon. Her jet-ck eyes especially shone with luster, more brilliant than obsidian.

    There was actually such a stunning beauty hidden in the General¡¯s Manor! The Emperor stared at Zi You without blinking. The Eunuch Yu next to him was getting anxious. He quickly coughed.

    His heart thought, ¡®Don¡¯t be so useless, okay, old man? The guniang is still young, only twelve years old. Don¡¯t scare her.

    Besides, you¡¯re about to turn forty in a few years, old man. I don¡¯t even know how many times you tangled with your heap of women. Now you lost your soul because of an underage little yatou? If this spreads out, if you don¡¯t feel ashamed, the country will feel ashamed.¡¯

    Eunuch Yu¡¯s cough called back the Emperor¡¯s soul. The middle-aged uncle also felt a bit embarrassed. His face turned red and he covered up with a cough. ¡°Yatou, Zhen heard you wanted to form a female medical team and follow your grandfather and uncle onto the battlefield. Can you tell Zhen why?¡±

    Zi You curtsied. She replied calmly, unhurriedly, clearly, and distinctly, ¡°Emperor, a war has many casualties. Although Chennu had not done surveys, Chennu understands the numbers won¡¯t be small. Chennu is troubled watching the soldiers guarding their homes and defending the country die or be disabled; and watching rtives face the same dangerous situations as the soldiers. Grandfather and uncle are Chennu¡¯s family and these soldiers are our Great Yan¡¯s guardians. Without them, how can we civilians lead happy and peaceful lives? Before mother died, she told Chennu to guard grandfather and uncle in her ce. Emperor, Nanjiang is dense with jungles. There are all kinds of poisons and poison miasmas. The northern grasnds have wolves and Xiongnu people. They are even more elusive, cruel, and vicious. The army only has about a dozen or so doctors. How can they cope?¡±

 Chapter 100.5

    <h4>Chapter 100.5</h4>

    ¡°Emperor, Chennu¡¯s family and enemies are battling on the frontline. Chennu may be a female descendant from a military family and cannot fight on the battlefield, but Chennu can save the wounded in the army with a female medical team. Chennu can protect Chennu¡¯s family and Great Yan¡¯s soldiers. It is a medical professional¡¯s duty to provide timely treatment. Chennu cannot hide in fear. Emperor, injuries on the battlefield are 30% treatment and 70% support. It¡¯s not sustainable to focus on medical treatment without prevention. This is the valuable experience Chennu¡¯s mother worked hard to umte. Emperor, please grant Chennu permission to train a female medical team and go onto the battlefield.¡±

    Zi You knelt down with a bang.

    A censor hurriedly reported, ¡°Emperor absolutely cannot. With young women in the army, can the soldiers focus on killing the enemy? Moreover, I heard that some of these women are descendants of criminal officials. If they aspired for vengeance, wouldn¡¯t our soldiers be in danger?¡±

    Zi You bit her vermilion lips and asked with a mournful face, ¡°Has this official been to the ve market?¡±

    The censor tilted his head up proudly. ¡°Why would this official go there?

    Zi You looked at him and clearly said, ¡°It is like hell on earth there. Does this official think that someone who escaped from hell would want to go back to hell? The oldest female ve is fourteen years old and the youngest is only ten years old. They were bought by Chennu at their most hopeless point and taught medical skills. They hate that they can¡¯t immediately make achievements and erase their ve status. How can it be possible that they wouldmit criminal acts? Besides, does this official think Chennu is dead? If Chennu can¡¯t even manage a medical team of fifty females, why talk about going to save people on the frontline? Chennu is willing to ept a military order. If things turn out the way this official says, then Chennu is willing to put her head up for guarantee.¡±

 Chapter 101.1

    <h4>Chapter 101.1</h4>

    At this time, Taizi walked out smiling, and said, ¡°Fuwang [imperial father], Erchen [your son] feels that Mu Xiaojie should try it. Mu Xiaojie personally told Erchen about her mother saving many soldiers in Nanjiang. Erchen thinks that without Mu furen, even if we won that battle, our losses would be heavy. It can be seen that without medical skills, knowledge of the local regions and environment is not enough. Our army¡¯s doctorsck the medical skills in protecting against miasma and poisons. Since Mu Xiaojie¡¯s mother was well-versed in these skills, why not let Mu Xiaojie try? As for the situation Censor Sui mentioned... If he is worried, let¡¯s have some imperial bodyguards follow along for intimidation. The little guniangs are sure to be obedient if they¡¯re afraid.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s face was gloomy. Although he was smiling, the smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°Oh? The yatou and Taizi are familiar?¡±

    ¡°Not familiar,¡± Zi You seriously replied. ¡°We¡¯ve meet twice. Once at Duke Anguo fu and once at Duke Yingguo fu. There were lots of people there. But we may be more familiar in the future, because Chennu¡¯s close jiejie Liu Ruixue will soon be Taizi Ye¡¯s Cefei.¡±

    The Emperor looked at Taizi and nodded. He continued to ask, ¡°You¡¯ve said that Nanjiang¡¯s jungles have many poisonous snakes and such. As a little guniang, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±

    Zi You lightly smiled, like an Epiphyllum in the nighttime: elegance and quiet. ¡°Chennu is afraid. Chennu is afraid of snakes, scorpions, toads, and such animals. However, Chennu cannot be afraid and isn¡¯t qualified to be afraid because after mother¡¯s death, the task of protecting grandfather and uncle fell to Chennu. If grandfather and uncle are with troops in Nanjiang, being bitten by poisonous insects is the mostmon situation. If Chennu is afraid and cannot follow grandfather and uncle, what would happen if they are injured? And what would happen to the tens of thousands of soldiers? Chennu may be female and inferior, but Chennu loves her country. Even if there are difficulties as big as the heavens, for Chennu¡¯s family and the country¡¯s soldiers, Chennu will ovee them!¡±

    The Emperor continually nodded his head. Just as he was about to speak, an old eunuch said, ¡°Emperor, Empress Dowager wants to see Mu Zi You Xiaojie.¡±

 Chapter 101.2

    <h4>Chapter 101.2</h4>

    ***[There¡¯s a glossary now for terms left in pinyin in the above menu, for those who need it!]

    The Emperor could only wave his hand. ¡°Yatou, go see the Empress Dowager then. Come with your grandfather to my royal study afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Chennu obeys.¡± Zi You bowed and retreated elegantly. The hall full of civil and military officials secretly praised, ¡®She¡¯s worthy of being a descendant from a military family. She has an awe-inspiring presence.¡¯

    Even that censor who disagreed with her was regretful. He should not have listened to that old rascal Duke Yingguo¡¯s trickery.

    ¡°That silly immature and inexperienced little yatou dares to form some whatever female medical team and follow men onto the battlefield. Does she think there is no one alive in our Great Yan? Censor Sui, the Emperor will definitely be pleased if you use her of misconduct. The Censorship Institution¡¯s Left and Right Imperial Censors are old. And Left Censor Lu especially have lost the Emperor¡¯s trust. As long as you work hard, the Censorship Institution¡¯s position will be yours.¡±

    What ¡°position will be yours?¡± He was afraid he wouldn¡¯t even keep his position as an imperial censor of the Censorship Institution.

    Zi You did not know that she had already attracted the civil and military officials and the Emperor¡¯s attention in throne room. She very calmly arrived at the Empress Dowager¡¯s Jingyang Pce.

    As soon as she walked in, she saw Shangguan LingRan leaning on the Empress Dowager.

    That scoundrel made faces at her and silently scolded, ¡°Stupid!¡±

    Zi You was toozy to reply and didn¡¯t even look at him. She walked with dignity and elegantly knelt in greeting. ¡°Chennu Mu Zi You pays respects to Empress Dowager. Wishing Empress Dowager lives thousands of years! Chennu pays respects to Shizi Ye. Wishing Shizi Ye good fortune!¡±

    The Empress Dowager looked lovingly at Shangguan LingRan. ¡°This is the guniang you said who could attract a hundred birds and butterflies?¡±

    ¡°This is the idiot.¡± Shangguan LingRan still used that sloppy tone. He looked devilishly at Zi You, smiling a smile that could confuse all living beings and cause the downfall of a country.

 Chapter 101.3

    <h4>Chapter 101.3</h4>

    ***[There¡¯s a glossary now for terms left in pinyin in the above menu, for those who need it!]

    Jingyang Pce¡¯s pce maids could only drool over him.

    The Empress Dowager lovingly patted her grandchild. She lightly said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t scold people like that.¡±

    She turned her head to smile at Zi You. ¡°Get up, yatou. Come forwards. Let Aijia [literally: ¡°this mourning one,¡± how she refers to herself] take a good look at you.¡±

    ¡°Imperial grandmother, she¡¯s too ugly. Don¡¯t let her scare you.¡± Shangguan LingRan¡¯s vicious tongue was merciless.

    The Empress Dowager loved this grandson, so she wouldn¡¯t do anything to him. She could only say sweetly to Zi You, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at Shizi, yatou. He just told Aijia that a fairy-like person came to the Pce today. Her singing and zither-ying can attract one hundred chirping birds. Her drawing and poem-writing can attract dancing butterflies. So, his words now are false. Come forwards and let Aijia take a good look.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You walked forwards and looked once at Shangguan LingRan. That scoundrel had a suspicious flush on his face. He grabbed grapes and threw them into his mouth.

    Zi You was about to kneel in front of the Empress Dowager, but Shangguan LingRan huffily scolded, ¡°Do you have a soft bone disease? Kneeling for everything? Imperial grandmother has so many chairs. You don¡¯t know how to sit? I said you are stupid, but you don¡¯t want to hear it. You really are stupid!¡±

    Zi You finally understood. This scoundrel didn¡¯t have a bad heart. He just had a vicious tongue. He would be ufortable if he didn¡¯t insult people.

    So, she no longer paid him any attention. She let the Empress Dowager carefully scrutinize her from top to bottom and left to right.

    ¡°Aiyo! How can someone be so beautiful? No wonder LingRan said you were a fairy,¡± the Empress Dowager smiled and praised.

    Shangguan LingRan was embarrassed. He immediately jumped up and shouted, ¡°Imperial grandmother is lying. When did grandson say that? Grandson clearly said that a stupid yatou impersonating a fairy came into the Pce today.¡±

    [TL Note: Tsundere...? ??]

 Chapter 101.4

    <h4>Chapter 101.4</h4>

    Hearing these words, Zi You¡¯s mood improved for some reason. She lightly smiled as she replied, ¡°Yes, Chennu¡¯s appearance is vulgar. Chennu cannotpare to the Shizi whose beauty can captivate birds and beasts, exceeds the natural world, and is capable of causing the downfall of a country.¡±* [All idioms to describe devastatingly beautiful females]

    ¡°Darned yatou, you dare to insult Ye as a woman?¡± Shangguan LingRan roared, but his eyes held a smile.

    He hated people saying he was better-looking than women the most. Mu Zi You not only said it, but she said it in front of imperial grandmother and so many pce maids.

    But he was actually not angry. Instead, he was very happy. What was this?

    It must be this darned yatou! She casted a spell on him. Let¡¯s see how he would take care of her in the future when they meet. Shangguan LingRan bared his teeth and made all sorts of angry faces. But the Empress Dowager saw that upward tilt of his lips. How could she not understand?

    The Empress Dowager looked at this and looked at that. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but be very happy. Her own grandson had eyes on the top of his head. He didn¡¯t put any guniang in his eyes. It seemed that he liked this Mu Zi You.

    The only regret was that the guniang is too young. She was only twelve years old this year. Her grandson had to wait three years for her to reach marriageable age. Three yearster, her grandson would be neen years old. Wouldn¡¯t that be too old?

    The Empress Dowager hesitated and didn¡¯t immediately bestow a marriage. As a result, nothing happened. What happened afterwards would exceed everyone¡¯s expectations.

    Also, this could be med that Shangguan LingRan wanted to keep his pride. He refused to admit that he liked a twelve-year-old little girl, so he did not insist that his imperial grandmother bestow a marriage. This scoundrel would bang his head in deep regretter on. This would happen in the future. Let¡¯s not talk about it now.

 Chapter 101.5

    <h4>Chapter 101.5</h4>

    The Empress Dowager was kind and amiable. Thinking of Zi You¡¯s aunt N¨¦e Liu, she easily said, ¡°Yatou, don¡¯t be formal. Aijia counts as your great aunt. Your aunt is Aijia¡¯s cousin¡¯s daughter. How is she doing?¡±

    Zi You immediately smiled sweetly. This smile was like ice melting and the sun breaking through the clouds. ¡°Yes, imperial great aunt. Chennu came into the Pce today and aunt mentioned you. She said that if imperial great aunt summons me, Chennu must pay respects on her behalf to you.¡±

    The Empress Dowager nodded, gratified. ¡°En, that yatou is blessed. Yatou, Aijia heard that you came into the Pce today because a censor censured you? Aiyo! Why would those rascals censure a little yatou for no reason?¡±

    Zi You had not replied, but Shangguan LingRan, panting with rage, answered. ¡°That¡¯s because this idiot doesn¡¯t know her own abilities. She bought fifty-plus female ves. She wants to teach them medicine and let them follow generals onto the battlefield to treat the wounded soldiers. Someone found information to use against her. How can she not be censured?¡±

    The Empress Dowager was puzzled. ¡°This is a good thing. What information can be used against her?¡±

    ¡°Many of the ves are rtives of criminal officials. Imperial uncle and Taizi gege listened to the officials¡¯ bias and worried that those little yatous would want to take revenge and harm our soldiers. I said this yatou was stupid. Can¡¯t noble xiaojies be female doctors?¡± Shangguan LingRan summed it up, still like a dandy.

    The Empress Dowager listened and lightly pped him. She said pamperingly and gently, ¡°Nonsense! Would noble xiaojies want to be a doctor? Where do you want yatou to find them?¡±

    Zi You said, ¡°Empress Dowager is wise. It¡¯s exactly because of the reason you said that Chennu had no choice but to purchase ves and teach them medicine. Chennu thought that no one would be unwilling to live a normal life and want to live in hell? Empress Dowager, Chennu gave them an opportunity to be reborn. How can they not cherish it? If they would seek vengeance, they would go to prison, serve a sentence, be demoted to official ve status, and be sold like animals by ve dealers in the ve market. It was an inhumane existence. These ten- to fourteen-year-old ves have experienced it once and would never forget it in their lifetime. Why would they want to experience it again?¡±

 Chapter 102 The Empress Dowager and Emperorâ€™s Dispute Part 1/4

    <h4>Chapter 102 The Empress Dowager and Emperor¡¯s Dispute Part 1/4</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan waited until Zi You finished and once again, mocked, ¡°How rare! Idiots have times when they are smart and know how to analyze? Much better than those idle officials with paste-filled heads.¡±

    The Empress Dowager pondered. She frowned and did not speak. Five minutester, Shangguan LingRan continued, ¡°Imperial grandmother, grandson thinks this is a good thing. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better for those criminal officials¡¯ daughters to do something meaningful for our army than be prostitutes? If they really want to seek revenge, they¡¯ll have many more opportunities in brothels. High-ranking officials frequently visit brothels. Isn¡¯t it better to kill a high-ranking official rather than a soldier?¡±

    The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled. ¡°En, you are right. Yatou, rest assured forming that female medical team. Aijia will tell the Emperor. Indeed, this really is a good thing. Why are there objections? It seems like they don¡¯t even listen to reason.¡±

    Shangguan LingRanughed mockingly again. ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s too stupid. Of all the people, she had to offend fourth meimei? It would be strange if fourth meimei lets her off.¡±

    ¡°Lingluo?¡± The Empress Dowager asked, ¡°How did you offend Fourth Gongzhu?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You in despise. He sharply and meanly said, ¡°She¡¯s stupid. Fourth meimei insulted her mother, but she won¡¯t give up and had to have fourth meimei apologize. And she had topete with fourth meimei...¡±

    Shangguan LingRan recounted the conflict between Zi You and Shangguan Lingluo at Duke Anguo fu vividly and realistically. He then once again mocked, ¡°An idiot is really an idiot. A powerless chennu fancifully thinks she canpete with a gongzhu of the imperial family. Aren¡¯t you looking for death? Who is fourth meimei? She¡¯s the beloved meimei in Taizi gege¡¯s heart. Offending fourth meimei is the equivalent of offending Taizi gege. Offending Taizi gege is tantamount to offending imperial uncle. This stupid yatou hit a stone with eggs. Her brain not popping out from the impact is already minor.¡±

    The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t want to hear anymore. She frowned and said, ¡°If so, then Taizi and Lingluo are wrong. One¡¯s mother is insulted for no reason, but has to silently bear it and can¡¯t talk? Isn¡¯t this bullying? Lingluo is spoiled and insensible, but why is Taizi muddleheaded too? Aijia heard from N¨¦e Liu that yatou¡¯s mother was a highly medically-skilled loyal, kind, and good woman. She made a lot of war contributions when our army suppressed the rebellion in Nanjiang. Wouldn¡¯t Lingluo insulting her make Old General Mu and General Mu¡¯s [Mu YingYi] hearts grow cold? It¡¯spletely reasonable that yatou was angry. If she was unaffected, that would be unfilial.¡±

 Chapter 102.2

    <h4>Chapter 102.2</h4>

    ¡°Empress Dowager!¡± Zi You excitedly called out. Two lines of crystal tears flowed down her porcin-like face. ¡°Empress Dowager, Chennu thanks Empress Dowager for understanding Zi You¡¯s anger at the time. As Empress Dowager said, if someone insulted Chennu¡¯s mother and Chennu bore it in silence, then it¡¯s unfilial! Therefore, even if the person who insulted Chennu¡¯s mother is more powerful, Chennu cannot be scared.¡±

    At this moment, Zi You was filled with grievance, with a sore heart because of the Empress Dowager¡¯s understanding.

    Shangguan LingRan had seen a lot of different kinds of women crying. Some cried like pear blossoms in the rain, some cried poignantly and touchingly, and some cried gracefully. Only Zi You cried silently, delicately, and unbearably. She was silently stubborn, delicately strong, and unbearably distressed.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but tighten. It throbbed in pain and was distinctly sour.

    He tried to suppress it, but finally couldn¡¯t suppress anymore. He said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Do you see, imperial grandmother? Old General Mu¡¯s precious treasure is crying. How cold would his heart be if he saw this? Her mother died in Nanjiang. She made a heroic and meritorious contribution for our country, but we¡¯re treating her daughter like this. Our imperial family will be scolded.¡±

    The Empress Dowager smiled and nted a nce at Shangguan LingRan, as if to say, ¡®Rascal, you¡¯re the one who is distressed, right?¡¯

    Shangguan LingRan had a guilty conscience. He immediately jumped up and shouted, ¡°Imperial grandmother, grandson is only thinking for the sake of the imperial family¡¯s prestige. Don¡¯t misunderstand!¡±

    ¡°Aijia didn¡¯t say anything. What are you getting excited for?¡± The Empress Dowager was old and mischievous. She kept teasing her grandson.

    Shangguan LingRan finally fled in embarrassment.

    The Empress Dowager saw that her grandson ran away in shame. She immediately pulled Zi You to sit down and sighed. ¡°Child, Aijia knows that you are filial and have a patriotic heart. But have you thought that bringing a group of girls onto the battlefield will make it difficult for you to find a husband?¡±

    [TL Note: Tsundere!]

 Chapter 102.3

    <h4>Chapter 102.3</h4>

    Zi You nodded and replied firmly. ¡°Chennu understands. Chennu have considered all the difficulties, but Chennu is not afraid. If all the men look down on Chennu because of this matter, then Chennu rather not marry for a lifetime. Empress Dowager, please fulfill Chennu¡¯s wish. Chennu doesn¡¯t want to be locked in her boudoir and fight all day with other women in the courtyard. Chennu rather get out of the residence, do Chennu¡¯s patriotic duty, and be filial to the elders.¡±

    The Empress Dowager nodded and eximed, ¡°What a good ¡®Do your patriotic duty and be filial to the elders!¡¯ Good child, Aijia understands. Aijia will persuade the Emperor. You can rest assured waiting for the news.¡±

    The Empress Dowager moved fast. She quickly called the Emperor over and said smilingly, ¡°Emperor, the harem shouldn¡¯t engage in politics and Muhou [imperial mother, referring to herself] shouldn¡¯t participate in court matters. However, this yatou¡¯s matter is an exception. Muhou is really touched by this child¡¯s patriotic and filial heart. Don¡¯t force the yatou. Let her train the female medical team and follow her grandfather onto the battlefield?¡±

    The Emperor looked at Zi You with an inexplicable expression. He smiled at the Empress Dowager, ¡°Erchen can agree, but Erchen wants two imperial doctors to train the female ves along with the yatou and assign two guards to protect the yatou.¡±

    Old General Mu is a loyal official and very loyal to him, but he is not at ease. He can¡¯t insert spies into the army, so he decides to start with the yatou.

    After all, he is the Emperor and Aijia is the Empress Dowager. Can I not give him face? Why don¡¯t I send Ling¡¯er to the yatou¡¯s side? He can remind her and they can cultivate their feelings.

    The Empress Dowager smiled. ¡°Aijia won¡¯t manage however you organize it. But Aijia also wants to send someone along. Ling¡¯er does nothing all day and causes trouble outside. This can¡¯t continue. As Aijia sees it, let Ling¡¯er learn medicine with Mu Xiaojie and your two guards can teach Ling¡¯er martial arts.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s face changed. Muhou wanted Fuwang [imperial father] to pass the throne to younger brother back then. Now, she is still partial towards younger brother.

    His younger brother¡¯s civil and martial skills were better than his. All these years, he expended so much energy to guard against him. He was always afraid that his younger brother¡¯s Di son was too outstanding. Therefore, he cultivated his nephew into a dandy, but Muhou actually paired up with him to turn against him.

    If Shangguan LingRan was sent to Mu Zi You¡¯s side, with his ability to please girls, he would sessfully obtain Mu Zi You. If An Wang fu and Mu fu are in an alliance, the Emperor would be in trouble.

 Chapter 102.4

    <h4>Chapter 102.4</h4>

    The Emperor immediately refused with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that. Ling¡¯er is male and unmarried. It¡¯s not proper to have him stay beside Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s face turned cold and she was no longer polite. ¡°Then are the two imperial doctors and guards female?¡±

    ¡°This?¡± The Emperor could not answer.

    The Empress Dowager said impolitely, ¡°Aijia knows what you¡¯re thinking. Aren¡¯t you afraid that if Ling¡¯er marries the yatou Zi You, your younger brother and Old General Mu would be inws? They would be a threat to your imperial authority? Emperor, can you not be so suspicious? No matter who will turn against you, your younger brother will not. He and you both came out of Muhou¡¯s belly. Muhou dares to guarantee with Muhou¡¯s life that your younger brother will not do such disloyal and unfilial things.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s face was unhappy as he replied, ¡°Sisxth brother wouldn¡¯t, but what about sixth brother¡¯s sons and grandchildren? Muhou, Erchen knows you love sixth brother, but Erchen is also your son. Why can¡¯t you put yourself in my ce and think for Erchen¡¯s sake?¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s heart turned cold at her eldest son¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t help but shed sad tears. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a guilty conscience saying those words? I know that you gave N¨¦e Su and N¨¦e Ning to your sixth brother as cefeis to monitor him. I acquiesced to that. For you to be at ease, I left Ling¡¯er in the imperial capital and helplessly watch him turn into a dandy. For you to be at ease, I repeatedly suppressed six¡¯s wife. Say it. What more do you want me to do? Kill Ling¡¯er or kill your sixth brother? Forget it. If you really can¡¯t be at ease, let your sixth brother go back to the capital and be an idle wangye. Don¡¯t send him to guard the Xibei border. Send whomever you trust.¡±

    The Emperor¡¯splexion turned a little better. He began to speak soft words, ¡°Muhou, it¡¯s Erchen¡¯s fault for making you sad. Actually, Erchen is most worried about Muhou¡¯s attitude towards Ling¡¯er and sixth brother. Erchen always think that you favor them and neglect Erchen and your other grandchildren.¡±

    The Empress Dowager shook her head and sighed. ¡°I also carried your sixth brother for ten months before giving birth to him. Don¡¯t I feel guilty treating him like this because of you? And what about you? You have everything. If the one to guard the bitterly cold Xibei border was you, I will also miss you. How can you not understand a mother¡¯s heart?

    A sharp light shed in the Emperor¡¯s eyes. His heart thought, ¡®This is good too. Let¡¯s test Shangguan LingRan and old man Mu to see if they have any intentions to betray Zhen.¡¯

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103</h4>

    Henceforth, the Emperor smiled gently. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do things ording to Muhou¡¯s wishes and have Ling¡¯er help Mu Xiaojie. However, Zhen does not allow him to marry her. Mu Xiaojie¡¯s marriage matters will be discussed after two years.¡±

    When he said these words, Zi You¡¯s face that was capable of causing the downfall of a country emerged in his mind. He couldn¡¯t help but lustfully fantasize what kind of devastating beauty she would be in two years. No one deserves such a woman, other than Zhen, the son of heaven.

    The Emperor and Empress Dowager¡¯s conversation was known by Taizi less than two hourster.

    Taizi thought of the words Darong Ka said the night he returned from the General¡¯s Manor and unconsciously frowned.

    He was originally insistent on not having Darong Ka reveal himself. If his Fuwang knew he had a Miao shaman in his fu, he didn¡¯t need to think about being Taizi anymore. He might even be beheaded.

    Therefore, he said to Darong Ka at that time, ¡°You cannot let anyone know of your existence. Now is not the time you should make your move. This Taizi wants to know who else is moving secretly.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Darong Ka agreed at the time, but he snuck into the General¡¯s Manor. He was not only bitten by a poisonous snake, but he also said to Taizi, ¡°This ve is certain that Mu Xiaojie has spiritual ability. You have to find a way to use her. Those with strong spiritual awareness have the destructive power of 10,000 soldiers. Even a city can be annihted.¡±

    Taizi could no longer remain calm. Old General Mu had 1/3 of Great Yan¡¯s army in his hands. Almost everyone knew about Mu family¡¯s troops.

    Even some of the senior generals in his Fuwang¡¯s 1/3 share of the army came from Old General Mu¡¯s troops.

    Thest 1/3 of the army was in the hands of his uncle, An Wang.

    Whether it was An Wang or Old General Mu, they were both loyal to his Fuwang. Because of the Empress Dowager¡¯s love for An Wang, the Emperor was growing more distrustful of his own younger brother. As a result, the Emperor relied more and more heavily on Old General Mu.

    Although he was Taizi, he had no military power in his hands and he was not Fuwang¡¯s most favored wangzi. In addition, with the Empress Dowager¡¯s blind love for An Wang Shizi Shangguan LingRan and An Wang¡¯s heavy military power, it would not be strange if he was kicked off the Taizi position one day.

    His inws, the She family, was a civil official family. They could not help him in a decisive role anyway.

    Thinking of this, Taizi couldn¡¯t help but be annoyed at his mother. She only knew how to think for her n¡¯s sake when she picked out his Taizifei from the She family. She didn¡¯t think about whether they could help him or not.

    Fortunately, he did the Empress Dowager¡¯s work and begged to marry Liu Ruixue as ceifei. At least, he dragged Duke Anguo fu onto his ship.

    Although Duke Anguo returned his military power back to his Fuwang, his prestige was still there. He was also the Empress Dowager¡¯s maiden family. Taizi was very satisfied with this marriage.

    He also had another cefei, who was the Minister of War¡¯s daughter. Would Zi You, a great general¡¯s Di granddaughter, be willing to marry him as shufei [imperial concubine of lower status than cefei]? The answer was clearly no.

    Wouldn¡¯t Old General Mu hate Taizi then? Not only would he not help him, but he might disrupt Taizi¡¯s ns.

    Taizi thought about Zi You¡¯s figure that was capable of causing the downfall of a country and Old General Mu¡¯s military power and went outside.

    At the same time, Shangguan LingRan also found out the details of the conversation between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. [TL Note: No wonder Taizi was so ¡°in love¡± with Liu Ruixue. He was after her powerful family]

    Shangguan Lingkan put away the carefree smile on his face. His whole person was colder than an iceberg.

    At this moment, his hatred for his biological imperial uncle, the Emperor, was clearer than anything else.

    Dog emperor! You sent two cheap women to steal away mother¡¯s happiness and deprive this Shizi Ye of a happy childhood. Now you want to steal Ye¡¯s You¡¯er? You want to be an old bull eating tender grass? Would this Ye let you have your way?

    The Shangguan LingRan you killed was a dandy. This Ye is not. The winner has yet to be determined. From now on, let¡¯s have a good fight.

    For his disguise, Shangguan Lingkan imitated his substitute, the deceased dandy, to some degree. But his true face was someone who was evil on the surface and a cold-to-the-bone person on the inside.

    The fake Shangguan LingRan was lustful. He wouldy his hands on any female with a bit of charm. But the real Shangguan LingRan was still a virgin.

    The reason was before his breakthrough to the seventh stage of the martial arts skill he practiced, Xuantian Jue, he could not lose his virgin status. Otherwise, he would never reach the tenth stage.

    After he reached the seventh stage, his personality grew colder. It wasn¡¯t that Xuanyuan Sect did not have any female disciples, but that he didn¡¯t put them in his eyes.

    Girls in Jianghu (the pugilistic world] were more forthright, butcked elegance and refinement. No matter how he looked at it, he felt they were a bit vulgar.

    After he returned to the imperial capital, the Empress Dowager really wanted him to be engaged. But the noble blue-blooded xiaojies he saw were either weak and fragile or arrogant and looked at him with contempt

    Either that or they were love-struck fools who were stunned by his appearance. They put on a fake bashful appearance. Only Mu Zi You, in the market that day, with her proud and aloof figure, attracted his gaze in the

    crowd.

    The second time they met was in Zhao HongXiang¡¯s study at Duke Yongnan fu. He saw that such a young girl already had the seductive charm of a mature woman and was shocked.

    But the thing that happened next made him more shocked. He was shocked that an underage girl had ability, ingenious schemes, and a malicious heart.

    She seemed to have some hatred with that person called Zhao HongXiang. The malice and hatred in her eyes at that moment surprised Shangguan Lingkan.

    As a result, he couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. He didn¡¯t expect that although the little yatou struck him, she did not use her full strength. Otherwise, it would not have been that easy to dodge that ox-hair needle.

    The interesting thing was that the little yatou saw that she missed and immediately pretended to be weak and helpless to win his sympathy.

    At that moment, looking into her beautiful jewel-like eyes shedding crystal-clear beads of tears, he didn¡¯t have the heart.

    Therefore, he flew with her out the window before the people arrived.

    But he did not expect the little yatou to bite the hand that fed her and spat out a hallucinogen at him.

    At the moment she wanted to strike him, the little yatou finally let him off. At that moment, he felt inexplicably happy.

    As for why he was happy, when he saw her again at Duke Anguo fu and heard her righteous words to Shangguan Lingluo insulting her mother, he finally realized it. This girl had the same pride and unyielding character in her bones as him.

    He was not mistaken. Everything that happenedter confirmed that although this girl was ruthless and scheming, she was only that way to people she hated.

    Towards her friends and family, she loved and protected them bone-deep. In the throne room, she was stubborn about following her grandfather onto the battlefield. A blue-blooded noble xiaojie was willing to do the lowest work to save soldiers. Shangguan Lingkan was once again moved.

    He fairly flew back to Jingyang Pce. He coaxed and acted spoiled to the Empress Dowager and she finally agreed to summon Zi You. He ridiculed and mocked her while they were talking, to help her.

    The more Shangguan LingRan thought, the more he felt uneasy. First, he didn¡¯t know how Zi You saw him. Looking at her previous attitude towards him, he feared she didn¡¯t like him.

    His imperial uncle the Emperor was just like Taizi. He was a dark-hearted, sanctimonious hypocrite.

    Shangguan LingRan did not have a definite ability topete with them yet. The key issue was that his Fuwang¡¯s [An Wang) attitude was ambiguous. He was deeply loyal to his imperial brother. He even favored the cefeis the Emperor used the Empress to bestow to him and the son Su Cefei born. He hated he couldn¡¯t take away Shangguan LingRan¡¯s Shizi title and give it to that Shangguan Liran.

    Although the Empress Dowager favored him out of guilt, if he really fell out with the Emperor, he wasn¡¯t sure that the Empress Dowager would stand on his side.

    The worst thing was that no one could stop the Emperor from taking Zi You as a consort. Would the Empress Dowager offend her own son for her grandson and Zi You?

    Shangguan LingRan tightly frowned. He suddenly beckoned to his guards. ¡°From now on, protect Mu Zi You twenty-four hours a day.¡±

    The next day, the Emperor¡¯s imperial decree arrived at the General¡¯s Manor. The eunuch was longwinded and said a lot of words she was unable toprehend. The tranted meaning was: ¡°Old General Mu¡¯s Di granddaughter, Mu Zi You, is loyal, patriotic, filial, and intelligent. She is conferred as themander of the female medical team. She is permitted to form a female medical team and follow the army to the front lines. In recognition of her patriotism and filial piety, she is bestowed 10,000 silvers, 1,000 gold, and two guards to protect Mu Zi You. An Wang Shizi Shangguan LingRan, Imperial Doctor Qi, and Imperial Doctor Yin are to assist Mu Zi You.¡±

    Old General Mu was a bit unhappy. He was vehemently opposed to men being by his granddaughter¡¯s side, but the Emperor still sent out such a decree.

    What does he mean? Is he using this opportunity to put me in my ce? He wants to tell me that what he says goes. He is the ultimate ruler of the world?

    Or is he sending someone to control You¡¯er and essentially controlling me? Perhaps, it is both.

    But why is he sending An Wang Shizi over, someone he always had qualms about?

    The things Old General Mu thought of, Zi You also thought of. She was finally certain that Shangguan Lingkan held no malice towards her. In fact, he had always been helping her.

    Then, was the Emperor sending him to her side this time to test Shangguan LingRan or to test her?

    Also, with four people constantly watching her, how was she to train the females ording to her own training program?

    The Emperor absolutely could not find out that she knew martial arts. The Emperor seemed to trust her grandfather very much, but that was because he was using her grandfather to suppress An Wang.

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104</h4>

    If An Wang got into an ident or if the Emperor trusted An Wang more than her grandfather one day, grandfather would be in danger. She absolutely could not allow such a situation happen.

    She was too stupid in her previous life. When grandfather was in trouble in Nanjiang, An Wang passed away. That happened after Shangguan LingRan¡¯s whereabouts were unknown.

    ording to reason, the anti-miasma drug mother left for grandfather and uncle shouldn¡¯t be problematic. But they clearly got into trouble. What happened?

    The more Zi You thought, the more scared she became. She finally stood up and walked towards grandfather¡¯s study. Only Zi You and Mu Ying Yi could enter Old General Mu¡¯s study. Even N¨¦e Liu could not enter.

    Therefore, the guards saw her, but did not block her and let her go inside.

    Zi You went inside and saw grandfather smoking a pipe. She knew his heart was troubled and her heart ached.

    Grandfather usually never smoked, because grandmother did not want to see grandfather smoke when she was alive. Grandfather did not listen. Only when grandmother passed away, did he give up smoking.

    He would only smoke again if he was troubled by something or right before a battle when he needed toe up with a battle n.

    This was not before a battle. The only thing that could make grandfather troubled was her matters.

    She walked over and took the pipe. She said loveably, ¡°Grandfather, if you¡¯re not obedient, I won¡¯t care about you anymore.¡±

    As long as Old General Mu saw his good granddaughter, he would be full of joy. His troubled mood also improved a lot.

    He lovingly patted her head and smiled. ¡°Change into male clothing. Apany grandfather for a walk.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± She dly answered and went to change clothes.

    The clothes were changed and the two were about to leave when they encountered Yu Lanxuan.

    Yu Lanxuan saw Zi You and it was like she met a good friend she hadn¡¯t seen for hundreds of years. She ran over affectionately and excitedly. ¡°Jiejie looks really good in male clothing! Where is jiejie and grandfather going?¡±

    Zi You thought about what Weishali told her. She smiled splendidly and said, ¡°You came, Xuan meimei? I haven¡¯t thought about where to go yet.¡±

    She looked meaningfully at Old General Mu and cutely said, ¡°Grandfather, why don¡¯t we go to Duke Yongnan fu? Granddaughter always felt sorry to Shizi Ye (Zhao HongXiang) for the mattersst time. Although it was not granddaughter¡¯s fault, but Aunt Chen [Duke Yongnan furen] seems to still be ming granddaughter. Let¡¯s go visit them and untie this knot. After all, you and the Duke are good friends.¡±

    Although Old General Mu did not know what his granddaughter was nning, from looking at her expression, he knew she was scheming something.

    The little yatou hanging onto Zi You seemed to be N¨¦e Wang¡¯s [Wang Yiping] niece. N¨¦e Liu told him everything that happened at Duke Anguo fu. It seemed like this little yatou was not some good person.

    Old General Mu nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s good. Grandfather wanted to look for Duke Yongnan to beat him in chess. Let¡¯s go to his fu.¡±

    Zi You immediately smiled brilliantly. ¡°Then wait for me, grandfather. I will change into female clothing.¡±

    She then smiled at Yu Lanxuan. ¡°Please wait, meimei. I will change clothes ande back.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yu Lanxuan answered, as she curtsied to Old General Mu. She sweetly cried out, ¡°Xuan¡¯er pays respects to grandfather. Wishing grandfather good fortune!¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Old General Mu coldly grunted and didn¡¯t talk to her anymore. He looked down on and didn¡¯t care about such a deep-minded and spineless child.

    Zi You was very fast. She came back with a bunch of tender and beautiful Chinese roses. She then said to Yu Lanxuan, ¡°Do you want toe, meimei? If you don¡¯t want toe, you can look for me next time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming, I¡¯ming,¡± Yu Lanxuan quickly replied. She couldn¡¯t wait to go over and grab Zi You¡¯s arms.

    Zi You secretly despised her, but had a spring-like and elegant smile on her face. ¡°Does meimei know Duke Yongnan Shizi?¡±

    A handsome young man appeared in Yu Lanxuan¡¯s mind. Her small face flushed and she lightly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him once or twice, but we¡¯ve never met or spoken.¡± Zi You handed the flowers to her. ¡°Then you take this and say that you¡¯re giving this to Shizi Ye. After all, this is your first time going there. It¡¯s not good to go empty-handed......¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± The words weren¡¯t finished when Yu Lanxuan cried out. Her eyes immediately teared up. ¡°They pricked my hand.¡±

    Old General Mu saw that she shed tears because she was pricked by flowers. He couldn¡¯t watch anymore. He scolded, ¡°So delicate! Being pricked by flowers, what is there to cry about? This should be......¡±

    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Zi You cutely hugged her Old General Mu¡¯s arm. She softly rebuked and fiercely winked. ¡°Xuan meimei is not like your strong soldiers. How can she be that valiant?¡±

    Old General Mu looked at Yu Lanxuan with contempt. Then he looked at his granddaughter, revealing a proud smile. His granddaughter really deserved to be cherished. In order to learn medicine, she stabbed needles into her arms every day without even frowning.

    In order to learn martial arts, she slept at midnight almost every night. Before dawn, she followed up him the mountain. Only he knew how hard she worked.

    But the yatou didn¡¯tin. When she saw that he was distressed, she immediately smiled andforted. ¡°Grandfather, You¡¯er is your granddaughter. If I can¡¯t even stand this little bit of pain, then I don¡¯t deserve to be called the ¡®Invincible War God¡¯s¡¯ granddaughter.¡±

    Did you hear? Our Mu family descendants carry an air of pride bone-deep! Except for that bastard, Mu YingRui.

    Yu Lanxuan was scared by Old General Mu until her face whitened. She had some regrets about following them to Duke Yongnan fu. Why did this old fool shout so loudly? No wonder aunt [Wang Yiping] was afraid of him.

    She hated Mu Zi You, but after being yelled at by the old fool, it was not only embarrassing, but she was extremely scared

    Zi You saw Yu Lanxuan shrunk behind her and smilinglyforted. ¡°There, there. Grandfather loves deeply and reprimands deeply. He teaches you because he likes you. Don¡¯t be afraid, meimei. I have some ointment here. Rub it on your wound and it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright,¡± Yu Lanxuan hurriedly refused. She secretly thought, ¡°Who knows what you put in the ointment?¡¯

    Zi You immediately guessed what she was thinking about. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly sneer. There was nothing in the ointment, but something good was smeared on the Chinese roses. When we arrive at Duke Yongnan fu, if I don¡¯t have you cheap wench make a fool of yourself, I will be letting you off too easily.

    At Duke Yongnan fu, Zhao HongXiangid in bed with his knee hurting. He was overjoyed once he heard that Zi You was here to visit him.

    She was wearing a light green dress, with white lilies embroidered in silver thread on the hem. A few butterflies danced on top of the flowers. They moved with Zi You¡¯s light footsteps. She was fresher and more refined than flowers.

    Zi You had learned from Duke Yongnan that his knee was in pain and that he was feverish. The wound had turned red and started to fester.

    Zi You pretended to ask in concern, ¡°Xiang gege, uncle said your knee hurts. What¡¯s the matter? Thest time I saw you, everything was okay. Why does it suddenly hurt?¡±

    Zhao HongXiang saw that Zi You was worried about him and he smiled from ear to ear. A pair of peach blossom eyes looked affectionately and charmingly at her. His voice was full of tenderness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, You meimei. The doctor took a look and said it was a poisonous snake bite. The blood clogged which led to a poisonous sore. I¡¯m taking medication. I¡¯ll probably get better in a few days. I¡¯ll go see you when I¡¯m better.¡±

    Better in a few days? Dream on! I smeared poisonous mushroom and flesh-rotting drugs on the Silver Light Rain. How can you get better so soon? This time, I will have you almost die of pain and your leg half-crippled. Then I can proceed with the next step of my n for vengeance.

    Wait for the poppy to devour your soul. When you can¡¯t leave me, then I will use you to torture Yu Lanxuan.

    You g couple. I will return all of the sufferings from my past life back to you, thousands- and tens of thousands-fold.

    The hatred in Zi You¡¯s heart was wildly burning. Her face was innocent and na?ve. She pped her soft little hands together and happily said, ¡°Really? Then you must get better soon and take me and Xuan meimei to fly kites.¡±

    She pulled Yu Lanxuan over and introduced, ¡°This is Xuan meimei. She heard that I wasing here to see you and wanted toe too, so I brought her here. Xiang gege, you won¡¯t me me, right? Oh, she also brought you flowers.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan was young, but following her yiniang and actress grandmother, knew lots of ways to seduce men.

    She was only twelve years old, three months older than Zi You, but had the seductive charm of an adult. She twisted and curtsied to Zhao HongXiang. She said cutely and sweetly, ¡°Xuan¡¯er pays respects to Shize Ye. Wishing Shizi Ye a quick recovery! Can Xuan¡¯er change the flowers for you?¡±

    She twisted her waist and buttocks and lifted her notyet-developed chest upwards. Zi You couldn¡¯t help but want tough.

    Zi You nced at Zhao HongXiang. Indeed, his furtive eyes were focused on Yu Lanxuan¡¯s chest and thigh area, revealing an interested and lewd gaze.

    Just like in the previous life, he was a lecherous wolf in human skin.

    At this time, Yu Lanxuan felt strange. A tingling feeling spread throughout her body. She didn¡¯t know what was going on. Her heart rate sped up; her blood flow elerated, and her body felt hot. That itchy and numb feeling made her want to moan and strip naked. She wanted to pounce on Zhao HongXiang and make a mess with him.

    At that moment, her back was facing Zi You. She kept sending coquettish nces at Zhao HongXiang, trying to seduce him. She stretched out her tongue and licked her small blood red lips.

    It was like she was possessed. She didn¡¯t seem like a twelve-year-old little guniang at all. She was more like a prostitute in a brothel.

    Zhao HongXiang was originally lustful and already familiar with the intimate rtionship between man and woman. Looking at Yu Lanxuan¡¯s current appearance, how could he not know what her intentions were?

    For a time, his heart was feeling excited and frisky. He was absent-minded even when Zi You was talking to him. He quietly looked at Yu Lanxuan. He didn¡¯t even notice when Zi You left.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105</h4>

    After Yu Lanxuan changed the flowers, she saw that Zi You had left. She twisted her little waist and sat down next to Zhao HongXiang. She rubbed her notyet-developed chest against Zhao HongXiang¡¯s arm and said coyly, ¡°Xiang gege, where are you ufortable? How about I rub it for you?¡±

    Her small hand went under the quilt and rubbed Zhao HongXiang¡¯s groin.

    Yu Lanxuan knew all the sensitive areas of a man. She already knew all about intimate rtions between men and women when she was very young.

    When she was five years old on a summer afternoon, everyone was napping. So got up without anyone seeing her and went to her mother¡¯s courtyard. The servants ran off to who knows-where, so there was no one around

    She walked into the house and was about to enter her mother¡¯s bedroom. She heard her mother¡¯s seemingly painful and ufortable moans.

    She thought her mother was ill and was about to go in to see what was wrong. But she heard a man¡¯s gasping voice. ¡°Daring, is it good? En...... Are youfortable? I¡¯ll tell you, Laoye... Laoye can¡¯t. So I will satisfy you.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan pushed open the door a little and looked through the crack. She saw her mother stark naked pressed under a steward of the house.

    The steward was also stark naked. He moved his waist and legs against her mother......

    She often noticed her mother and the steward¡¯s interactions. She also had seen her mother and the steward¡¯s affair several times.

    She asked her mother, ¡°Mother, why is it that when you¡¯re pressed under a man, you moan ufortably, but still yell out, ¡®I want it?¡±¡±

    Her mother was startled at first. After she asked her and found out what happened, she first threatened Yu Lanxuan. Finally, sheughed evilly and said, ¡°Baby, that kind of thing is what men want to do the most. If you want a man to be captivated by you, then you have to win them over like mother did. Do you understand? Baby, this kind of thing really feels as pleasurable as being an immortal. You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand. Once you¡¯ve experienced it, you¡¯ll never forget it.¡±

    How could a five-year-old child, after receiving this kind of education from her mother, have a pure soul? How could her mind not be dirty?

    Not to mention that she was under the influence of an aphrodisiac. She was even more incapable of resisting the itch. She also thought that Zi You liked Zhao HongXiang, So Yu Lanxuan was more determined to win him over. Thus, her flirtatiousness was not much different from prostitutes.

    Zi You calcted and it was almost time. She hurriedly rushed into the drawing room and said to Duke Yongnan, ¡°Uncle, you should take a look at Xiang gege. You¡¯er feels that something is wrong with him. When I spoke to him, he was dazed and confused and did not reply to me.¡±

    ¡°Ah? How did this happen?¡± Duke Yongnan was ying chess with Old General Mu. ¡°The doctor said that Xiang¡¯er¡¯s illness isn¡¯t a big deal. But he still hasn¡¯t gotten better till now. And he¡¯s getting worse and worse. It¡¯s really worrying!¡±

    Duke Yongnan was worried. Once he heard Zi You¡¯s words, he was scared into quickly walking to Zhao HongXiang¡¯s bedroom.

    He was anxious and in a hurry, so he did not knock. He opened the door and took a look. He was almost angered until he fainted to the ground.

    His son was hugging a little guniang wearing only her undergarments. He was kissing, touching, and biting. He didn¡¯t look like a patient at all, but a lecherous ghost.

    This little guniang followed Zi You here, called something Yu Lanxuan. She was Minister of Revenue¡¯s Shu daughter. How was she like a blueblooded noble? She was obviously an immoral and loose woman!

    Zi You deliberately came inst and let her grandfather and Duke Yongan go in first. As a result, Old General Mu saw this scene and exploded. He loudly cursed, ¡°Shameless!¡± Then he pulled Zi You and left.

    Zi You pretended like she didn¡¯t understand. She shouted, ¡°Xuan meimei, we¡¯re going back. Are youing? Hurry up. Goodbye, Xiang gege. I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed toe again,¡± Old General Mu angrily shouted. ¡°You¡¯re never to step foot in here again! What is this? With this kind of morals and conduct, he dares to want to marry my precious granddaughter? He¡¯s really a toad that wants to eat a swan¡¯s meat!¡±

    The next day, Duke Yongnan came to look for Old General Mu. It was about his son¡¯s matters, of course.

    In fact, Duke Yongnan was angry that his son didn¡¯t live up to expectations. How could you be ill and so impatient as to embrace an underage little yatou?

    Although she seduced you, you should have firmly pushed her away and not pounce. You missed such a good opportunity to test yourself. Can you me Old General Mu for being angry?

    Your old man here is begging him to marry off his precious granddaughter, while you¡¯re fooling around with other girls?

    Duke Yongnan found it difficult to get his words out and was resentful for a long time. He finally said in a low voice, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Old General. I apologize to you and You¡¯er on behalf of my son. Actually, my son is in the wrong, but that little yatou you brought over is even more shameless. So young and she knows how to seduce men. I really don¡¯t know how the Minister of Revenue raised her. He even wanted to marry his daughter to my son. I refused immediately. Our Zhao family does not want such an immoral yatou! Old General, I really like your You¡¯er. That¡¯s why I came again and again to ask you. You can rest assured that Xiang¡¯er knows he was wrong. He cried and wailed that he had to ask for your and You¡¯er¡¯s forgiveness and said he would never be lured by anyone again. Old General, on ount of our friendship of more than twenty years, can you forgive Xiang¡¯er?¡±

    Old General Mu firmly shook his head. He was unmoved. ¡°No. I don¡¯t dare to praise your son¡¯s conduct since he was young. Leave and don¡¯te back. Even if youe back, I will not let you in.¡±

    Duke Yongnan bowed and pled for a while. Old General Mu said huffily, ¡°We can continue to be friends, but never mention the matter of You¡¯er marrying your son again.¡±

    Duke Yongnan didn¡¯t dare to say anything more, but he really hated that little yatou Yu Lanxuan to the bone.

    He couldn¡¯t think why such a young yatou would be so cheap and immoral! When she was caught yesterday, she not only didn¡¯t cry in shame, but said, ¡°Shizi Ye has ruined my innocence. I must marry Shizi Ye.¡±

    What female could say something so shameless? Shameless! Really shameless!

    As Duke Yongnan was secretly scolding Yu Lanxuan, he was thinking about how Zi You was so dignified and elegant. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while. Howe I don¡¯t see You¡¯er?¡±

    Old General Mu once again looked at him in displeasure. ¡°You think everyone is like you and does nothing all day? You¡¯er is now the conferredmander of the female medical team. She has a lot of things to do.¡±

    There were indeed a lot of things to do. Zi You had to cultivate at night and train the female medical team in medicine, martial arts, and a variety of other skills. She also had to handle Taizi, Third Wangzi, and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s interference.

    Yes, it was interference. But the three said they were looking after her and providing support.

    Taizi sent over paper, brush, inkstone, and a female guard. He smiled in refinement and said, ¡°Fuwang sent you two male guards, but this Taizi thought it over and decided that sending you a female guard is more appropriate.¡±

    Zi You was as cold as the moon. She calmly said, ¡°Chennu thanks Taizi Ye for your kindness. Chennu has epted the paper, brush, and inkstone, but cannot ept the guard. Otherwise, the Emperor ming Chennu is not important, but Taizi Ye being med is not good.¡±

    Taizi pretended that he had just realized that he said the wrong thing and shook his head. ¡°Yes, this Taizi has self-reflected. Fortunately, You¡¯er reminded me. Thank you, You¡¯er!¡±

    His words were gentle, his eyes were affectionate, and he was obviously cheerful. Could he not be happy? Although the beauty refused the female guard, it was because she was afraid that he would be med by the Emperor.

    that it was

    In fact, how could he not know inappropriate to send a female guard?

    Taizi only wanted to test Zi You to see if she could think about this. If Zi You foolishly epted the female guard, then it showed that the little yatou did not pose a threat to him. If she refused, then the yatou was not stupid and he needed to put more thought in.

    But he did not expect that as he was testing Zi You, Zi You was also testing him. Zi You was miserably deceived by that sanctimonious hypocrite Zhao HongXiang in her previous life. It could be said that she was very uninterested in this sort of male.

    And coincidentally, Taizi belonged to that gentle, cultured, and smiling gentleman type.

    But as to whether his smile hid a knife, Zi You didn¡¯t want to randomly and wrongly use him.

    Thus, Zi You deliberately refused to ept the female guard just to see Taizi¡¯s reaction.

    As a result, Taizi was lying and Zi You¡¯s impression of him plummeted.

    She did not believe that Taizi did not realize that his words and actions were in direct conflict with the Emperor¡¯s intentions. Which of these wangzis, including Shangguan LingRan, were truly innocent and na?ve?

    If hemitted such an obvious mistake, he would have long been stripped of his Taizi position.

    And he would not be here to act out a y with her. If this was her previous life, Zi You would certainly have been deceived. But in this lifetime, she would never trust anyone again!

    Next, Third Wangzi Shangguan Boyu sent something even more ridiculous over. It was a pure white mighty and formidable horse. It was obviously a good horse at first nce.

    Not only that; but a dazzling golden saddle and horse whip iid with diamonds were readily prepared.

    In front of Zi You, he pretended to be romantic and elegant. ¡°Heroes are paired with swords and rouge is paired with beauties. Benwangzi really admires Mu Xiaojie¡¯s bravery and courage! Benwangzi hopes Mu Xiaojie can ept this horse. How can one go onto the battlefield without a good horse? Benwangzi entrusted a lot of people to buy this horse from Xibei desert. Isn¡¯t it very nice-looking?!

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106</h4>

    Zi You lightly smiled, beautiful and cold like a snow lotus. ¡°Thank you, Third Wangzi, for your kind intentions. But Zi You has a horse already and doesn¡¯t need other horses. Indeed, rouge is paired with beautiful women. Third Wangzi should give the horse to your female friend.¡±

    She left without even taking a look at the big and mighty white horse. Moreover, she certainly did not see Third Wangzi¡¯s feigned free and easy posture.

    Thest one toe was Shangguan LingRan. This dandy was worthy of being a dandy. He was thest one toe among the officials the Emperor sent.

    After he came, he arrogantly raised his chin and pointed to the tea set being held by a manservant.

    The meaning was: ¡°Make tea for this Shizi. This Shizi did not bring a maidservant, so you have to serve this Shizi.¡¯ Yes, he directly treated Zi You as his maidservant.

    Zi You knew what kind of person he was now. She didn¡¯t get angry and really went to make tea for him.

    Her obedient expression was like a little daughter-iw. Shangguan Lingkan sprawled indolently on a chair. When Zi You brought the tea over, he took the opportunity to pinch Zi You¡¯s small hand.

    Zi You¡¯s small foot suddenly kicked towards his knee. Shangguan LingRan shed away. While he was unprepared, Zi You added a little seasoning to his tea. Then she leisurely ran away.

    Shangguan Lingkan did not know something was added to the tea. He elegantly and gracefully took a sip, causing all the little guniangs to copse.

    Who was this gongzi? He was so handsome.

    But in the next second, the little guniangs couldn¡¯t help but lower their heads andugh.

    Because Shangguan Lingkan sprayed out all the tea without any care for his image. His face could only be described as suffering in pain. He then ran out...

    Shangguan Lingkan was humiliated and angry! He lived till the age of sixteen and it had always been him ying with people. He had never been yed, but he was fooled by a little yatou today.

    What she did put in that unfortunate tea? He was very sure that he had never tasted anything so disgusting. Even the bitterest medicine tasted better than that.

    Darned yatou! You dared to fool me. See how this Shizi will take care of you when he catches you.

    Shangguan Lingkan ran to his room and gargled for a full hour. He still felt that there was a strange taste in his mouth.

    The two people¡¯s first official confrontation: Zi You won.

    Afterwards, the female medical team¡¯s training field turned lively. Taizi came today. Third Wangzi woulde tomorrow. Plus, Shangguan LingRan was unreasonably causing disturbances. If he wasn¡¯t pulling the two guards to gamble, he was pulling the imperial doctors to go drinking.

    The female medical team was stirred into chaos. Finally, Old General Mu submitted a memorial and denounced the five men.

    Zi You went toin to the Empress Dowager. ¡°Empress Dowager, when Chennu was teaching them in the General¡¯s Manor, they had no distractions and learned very well. Now, with Shizi Ye and the four officials, as well as Taizi Ye and Third Wangzi all constantly dropping by, Chennu doesn¡¯t know what to say. Chennu feels like every day is a mess and the guniangs aren¡¯t able to focus on their studies. Can Empress Dowager help Chennu and talk to the Emperor? Let Chennu take them up the mountain for closed-door training.¡± ¡°The mountain?¡± The Empress Dowager asked in shock. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you and the little guniangs be in danger on the mountain?¡± Zi You shook her head. ¡°Grandfather also took a part of his soldiers up the mountain for closed-door training. Grandfather said learning medicine is not enough. One needs actualbat experience. Someone will rush up to rescue the wounded on the front lines and transport them to the medical team in the back. But minor injuries should also be treated.¡±

    The Empress Dowager nodded in understanding.

    Zi You saw that she understood and continued, ¡°Empress Dowager, this is Great Yan¡¯s first female medical team that was formed with your help and support. You don¡¯t want it to be given up halfway and make you ashamed on the battlefield in the future, right? Although the two imperial doctors and guards were sent by the Emperor to help Chennu, they obviously look down on Chennu and the guniangs. They have arrogant attitudes and don¡¯t take things seriously. Otherwise, even if Shizi Ye asked them to gamble and go drinking, they wouldn¡¯t dare. Can these people who can be bribed with a little kindness and favor by enemies on the front line be reliable?¡±

    The Empress Dowager nodded. ¡°They are indeed not reliable. They treat the female medical team Aijia supports as child¡¯s y.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zi You saw that she lit a fire in the Empress Dowager, so she continued to fan the mes. ¡°This is telling everyone that females are ipetent. They¡¯re not only looking down on Chennu, but spheming Empress Dowager.¡±

    The Empress Dowager was a bit unhappy. Fortunately, the yatou reminded her or she would have never thought this deeply. Could it be that the Emperor saw the Empress Dowager supported this yatou so he sent the two guards and two imperial doctors to cause chaos? Otherwise, why would they be so disruptive and muddleheaded? How could the people who caused trouble with Ling¡¯er get things done?

    The Empress Dowager was fooled by Shangguan Lingkan too. She thought he was the real dandy who did not know martial arts. So, she was not angry at Shangguan LingRan¡¯s disruption. But she was very angry at the guards and imperial doctors who ate, drank, and were merry with Shangguan Lingkan.

    In the end, the Emperor was summoned over. The Empress Dowager immediately became furious. ¡°Is the Emperor dissatisfied that Aijia supports yatou¡¯s female medical team and interfered in politics?¡±

    The Emperor still had some reverence for his Muhou. He immediately saluted and expressed in panic, ¡°That¡¯s not it. Why does Muhou say that?¡±

    The Empress Dowager turned angrier hearing his question. She thought, ¡°The female medical team is so chaotic. How can you not know?¡¯ The Empress Dowager shook her head and said in displeasure, ¡°Emperor, Aijia does not want to interfere in politics. Aijia was just moved by this yatou¡¯s filial piety and patriotism and wanted to fulfill her wish. You¡¯re so upset about it? You sent someone to cause trouble? So that she can¡¯t hang

    on?¡±

    The Emperor then found out that the Empress Dowager found out about the situation of the female medical them. Thus, he immediately pushed all the me onto Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Muhou, this matter should be med on Ling¡¯er. He was the one who dragged the guards and imperial doctors to fool around. The guards and imperial doctors didn¡¯t dare to refuse, so they could only follow along.¡±

    The Empress Dowager heard her son¡¯s words and immediately jumped up. ¡°Are you ming Aijia? One hand cannot p by itself. If the people you sent were good, could they be corrupted by Ling¡¯er? They couldn¡¯t redeem Ling¡¯er instead?¡±

    ¡°Huh! Redeem him?¡± The Emperorughed in ridicule. ¡°Mud cannot be pasted on the wall.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± The Empress Dowager was extremely furious this time! Even her body trembled. ¡°Those words can be said by anyone, but you are not qualified to do so. Are you unclear why Ling¡¯er turned into who he is today?¡±

    The Emperor also realized that he said too much. Shangguan LingRan was Muhou¡¯s biological grandson. Of course Muhou did not want to hear him called ¡°mud.¡±

    He then smiled andpromised. He agreed to the Empress Dowager¡¯s proposal of Old General Mu taking the female medical team into the mountain for closed-door training.

    Actually, the Emperor already agreed with Old General Mu. He was just upset that his Muhou was interfering with him.

    His Fuwang¡¯s dynasty had passed. Fuwang respected Muhou very much and loved listening to her advice. That didn¡¯t mean that he, the Emperor, did too.

    Moreover, right now, he must win over Old General Mu. Because if he really provoked Old General Mu, then his imperial authority would really be in jeopardy.

    Who would listen to an emperor without military power? Besides, Old General Mu was very loyal to him at the moment. The Emperor didn¡¯t have a hint of worry about Old General Mu. Old General Mu wasn¡¯t taking sides, sowing seeds of discord, or secretly making alliances with officials or wangzis.

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t even attend Taizi¡¯s chrysanthemum feast. Even Zi You did not attend. The reason was very appropriate. ¡°Mother was bitten by a poisonous snake and can¡¯t get out of bed. As her daughter, how can I be in the mood to admire flowers?¡±

    There was one Duke Yongnan who had a title, but no active job. He could only paint and was even less of a threat to the Emperor.

    Like this, under Old General Mu obtaining the Emperor¡¯s consent and the Empress Dowager¡¯s interference, Zi You was finally permitted to go with her grandfather and the female medical team to conduct closed-door training on the mountain.

    Now, everything was quiet. She could finally calm down and practice martial arts, medicine, and spiritual power.

    But before leaving, Zi You had to make Wang Yiping a bit more honest, so that she wouldn¡¯t bully her aunt [Nee Liu].

    She also had to get together with her three good friends and bid them farewell.

    She sent Xia Ruoqing, Ji Bingyu, and Liu Ruixue invitation cards to climb Yunwu Mountain.

    Zi You also prepared a lot of food, nning on a pic on the mountain. She was bringing the guniangs to practice, hunt, catch fish, and produce their own meals and clothing.

    Other than visiting the temple, asionally strolling in the market, or eating a meal at a restaurant, the three guniangs had never climbed a mountain.

    Thus, they were very excited, but couldn¡¯t tell their families the truth. They said, ¡°I¡¯m meeting up with Mu Xiaojie and ying at the General¡¯s Manor.¡± They went to the General¡¯s Manor with their maidservants.

    Old General Mu was worried and sent four confidant guards for protection. Zi You prepared some special items and had Weishali quietly follow along too. She got on the horse carriage with the three guniangs and went towards Yunwu Mountain.

    At the foot of the mountain, the road was narrow and the horse carriage couldn¡¯t pass. Zi You handed the food to the guards and went up the mountain road.

    Speaking of which, this Yunwu Mountain was the least steep and easiest mountain Zi You had climbed.

    Zi You and ShiYun easily climbed up the mountain. But the three guniangs, along with their maidservants, sweated and panted profusely.

    Zi You shook her head and said to them, ¡°Your bodies aren¡¯t fit enough. Exercise is beneficial for your bodies.¡±

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107</h4>

    Xia Ruoqing shook her head with a bitter face. ¡°Heavens! I won¡¯te next time. I¡¯m tired to death.¡±

    Ji Bingyu also moaned, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while. My legs and feet hurt.¡±

    Among the delicate guniangs, Liu Ruixue was stronger. Although her little face turned red, she didn¡¯t make a sound and hung on until they arrived.

    They arrived at the destination: a quiet valley. The three gunaings looked at the rumbling waterfall, willows, winding stream of water, the small fish swimming, swaying nts by the riverside, and spots of moss. The valley was surrounded by cliffs on both sides. The mountain stones were beautiful, as if they were bonsai carved from gods. There were strange stones, trees, and vines in the depths of a magical forest at the end of the stream. Every step was a magical experience. The three guniangs¡¯ fatigue disappeared and they shouted loudly in excitement.

    Xia Ruoqing no longerined about noting here anymore. She smiled at Zi You until her beautiful eyes curved. ¡°You meimei, can we catch the small fish?¡±

    Zi Youughed happily. ¡°Yes, I brought a small. If you¡¯re urate, you can scoop small fish up. Then we¡¯ll roast them.¡±

    ¡°Fish can be roasted?¡± Ji Bingyu was interested. She stared at the small in Xia Ruoqing¡¯s hand. ¡°Qing meimei, give me the. I also want to catch fish.¡±

    The two little guniangs forgot their fatigue in their struggle over the small. Liu Ruixue, who was older by a year or two, was calmer. While helping Zi You gather firewood, she watched her two meimeis joke andugh.

    Next to the waterfall, Zi Youid out a tarpaulin and the food. She said to Liu Ruixue, ¡°Prepare with them here. I¡¯ll go hunt a wild hare and pheasant to roast.¡±

    She then tried to fly away.

    But the four guards stopped her. ¡°Xiaojie, you cannot go.¡±

    Zi You frowned. She knew this was her grandfather¡¯s orders. He was afraid that she would meet with danger. Thus, she said gloomily, ¡°Leave three of you behind to take care of my jiejies. Xie Yunfeng,e hunting with me.¡±

    Xie Yunfeng saw how resolute she was and knew that she made up her mind. He could only hopelessly obey. He said to the three guards staying behind, ¡°You must protect the xiaojies and not let anything happen to them.¡±

    He and Zi You then flew out of the valley. They were going to a sparsely popted part of the mountain to hunt. There were more wild hares and pheasants there.

    Zi You also wanted to bring some back and roast them for grandfather and her cousins.

    In terms of the two people¡¯s internal strength, Xie Yunfeng was stronger than Zi You. However, when it came to qinggong [light footwork, flying), Zi You could be said to have improved by leaps and bounds in half a year.

    That was because grandfather said, ¡°If your qinggong is number one, if you can¡¯t beat an enemy in the future, you can run. Run faster than everyone else and no one can catch up to you.¡±

    Her grandfather was so cute! He urged her everyday to practice qinggong.

    Therefore, Zi You and Xie Yunfeng moved quickly. Especially since Xie Yunfeng was Old General Mu¡¯s confidant and guard. There was nothing much that Old General Mu hid from him. Thus, Zi You started to generate her spiritual power.

    As a result, those fast wild hares and pheasants became puppets that lost their souls. They obediently let the two people capture them.

    Xie Yunfeng was surprised and happy and, as his eyes opened wide.

    Finally, the two people caught six live rabbits and seven pheasants. They happily started to descend the mountain. But before they came to the valley where the pic was held, Xie Yunfeng said in surprise, ¡°Xiaojie, this subordinate seems to hear...¡±.

    ¡°Shh...¡± Zi You stopped him from speaking. Her ears perked up and she listened carefully for a moment. She then quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. It seems to be fighting soundsing from the valley.¡±

    The two didn¡¯t bother attending to the hares and pheasants and quickly flew towards the waterfall valley.

    The sounds of fighting became louder as they drew closer. Once she got there, Zi You¡¯s blood vessels almost burst open.

    More than thirty masked attackers surrounded andid siege to the three guards, a brocade-d man, and the six girls under their protection. The man in brocade was Shangguan LingRan.

    Four men protected six girls, while dealing with more than thirty strong martial artists. It could be imagined how dangerous it was.

    Zi You and Xie Yunfeng didn¡¯t have time to think before joining the fray.

    The weapon Zi You had today was her silk ribbon. She injected her internal force into the silk ribbon and it became a whip that was swung towards the attackers.

    While fighting with the attackers, she ordered Xie Yunfeng, ¡°Xie Shiwei (imperial bodyguard, soldier), quickly bring jiejies and them away.¡±

    ¡°No, generalmanded this subordinate not to leave Xiaojie¡¯s side,¡± Xie Yunfeng loudly shouted. He ruthlessly and mercilessly stabbed at the attackers.

    Zi You was anxious. If something happened to the three xiaojies, she, her grandfather, and even the whole General¡¯s Manor would be in trouble.

    Shangguan LingRan apparently thought of this too. His face no longer had that careless dandy expression. He said seriously to Xie Yunfeng, ¡°Take your Xiaojie and the three xiaojies away. This Shizi will stop them.¡±

    He stepped in front of Zi You and fiercely ordered, ¡°Hurry and retreat, stupid. Their target is you. They want to kill you so they won¡¯t do anything to me.¡±

    Xie Yunfeng heard and also became anxious. With a white face, he disregarded propriety and shouted to Zi You, ¡°Xiaojie, quickly go!¡±

    Zi You said firmly to the two, ¡°I, Mu Zi You, am not a coward. I cannot leave my friends andrades behind to exchange for my life. Xie Yunfeng, you take the three xiaojies and leave. Bring grandfather over here. I will stop them with Shizi Ye. Don¡¯t worry. I have spiritual power and my qinggong is better than yours. Nothing will happen to me. Go quickly.¡±

    Xie Yunfeng looked at Zi You¡¯s murderous aura. He knew she wouldn¡¯t leave because Shizi Ye was here. If something happened to Shizi Ye, the General¡¯s Manor would also be in trouble.

    Xie Yunfeng gave a long whistle. The other three guards emerged from the encirclement, apologized for offending the three xiaojies, grabbed them and the four maidservants, and flew away.

    ¡°Nubi wants to stay. Nubi doesn¡¯t want to leave Xiaojie.¡± ShiYun¡¯s heartbreaking cries gradually disappeared into the empty forest on the mountain.

    Shangguan LingRan heard Zi You¡¯s words and his heart warmed up. He stood with his back touching her back. He smiled brightly as he said, ¡°Stupid. Do you know why I¡¯m helping you? Because you¡¯re really cute when you¡¯re stupid!¡±

    ¡°Go die!¡± Zi You was not grateful. As she told him off, she called Weishali over.

    Weishali was released into a ce with living creatures. It already had its fill of mountain rats and other animals. Now, it was happily trying to catch a hare. Then it heard its master¡¯s call for help.

    At this point, it wasn¡¯t in the mood to enjoy food. With a sudden whoosh, it quickly dove into the grass and disappeared. Soon, it appeared in front of Zi You.

    Zi You fiercely cried out, ¡°Weishali, bite them to death.¡±

    Weishali was a spirit snake. It was not only poisonous, but had spiritual awareness. Its skills were high and no lower than a martial arts master.

    It spewed out venom and suddenly bit people. Within three minutes, those who were bitten showed symptoms of poisoning: dizziness, nausea, blurry vision......

    The attackers relied on their heavy numbers. They sent ten or so people to chase after Xie Yunfeng and them. But once Zi You sent out her three-bone nails, she instantly knocked down five or six people.

    The three-bone nails drew blood across throats. They were dipped in poison that did not lose out in toxicity to Weishali¡¯s venom.

    The remaining twenty or so people didn¡¯t dare to move rashly. They thought of the kill order that their master gave them. ¡°If you can¡¯t kill that cheap wench Mu Zi You, you don¡¯t have toe back to see Bengong.¡± They could only risk their lives to surround the two people and one snake.

    One of them seemed to be the leader. He fiercely said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave anyone alive. The man seems to know who master is. Go and tear the two people and one snake to pieces.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan coldly and gloomily smiled. His evil aura was to the extreme. ¡°We don¡¯t know who would tear whom into pieces yet. How many people, besides her Fuwang, don¡¯t know about Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s shameful event? She doesn¡¯t have the ability to silence people yet.¡±

    How did Shangguan Lingluo know that Zi You was going to the mountain today? Could it be that that slut Wang Yiping told her?

    As if he was aware of Zi You¡¯s doubts, Shangguan Lingkan, as he was fighting, said, ¡°I said you¡¯re stupid. You are stupid. If you know your stepmother wants to harm you, why didn¡¯t you guard against her? She bribed the servants in your courtyard and found out that you were going to the mountain today. A servant of your stepbrother sent a message to Yu Meilian. [TL Note: Just a reminder, she¡¯s Yu Lanxuan¡¯s Di sister.] Yu Meilian went to the Pce to tell Shangguan Lingluo. My subordinate told me the news this morning. I ran over as soon as I heard.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s hatred surged and her movements were more ruthless. Her silk ribbon was like a snake. It elusively hit the enemies¡¯ death acupuncture points. A three-bone nail flew out and knocked down five or six enemies again.

    Shangguan LingRan also ran around fighting. His soft sword was like a beam of moonlight fighting against the attackers¡¯ longswords. The nging sounds were incessant. He was not panicked as he protected Zi You. His sword moved inyers like scattering lotus blossoms. The wounded ck-d attackers retreated.

    Don¡¯t me him for being ruthless. He couldn¡¯t let these people return and tell Shangguan Lingluo that he knew martial arts. Then he, his mother, and his maternal grandfather¡¯s forbearance and masquerade were lost.

    After a battle, there were only seven or eight attackers remaining. Shangguan LingRan was injured. His left leg was sliced by a sword. The cut under his right rib was also deep to the bone. They were sustained because he was trying to protect Zi You.

    Possibly because her internal strength wasn¡¯t strong enough, the silk ribbon¡¯s power was getting weaker and weaker and its lethality decreased. She also ran out of three-bone nails. Thus, she was saved several times by Shangguan LingRan and Weishali when she was in danger.

    Weishali was also injured and bleeding everywhere. It looked at Zi You in distress and anger.

    They couldn¡¯t continue on like this. Weishali and Shangguan LingRan were losing blood. They couldn¡¯t hang on for very long.

    Why wasn¡¯t grandfather here yet? Zi You looked anxiously at the road that led away out of the valley.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108</h4>

    Who knew that at this time, an attacker who was sprawled on the ground, sent a flying dagger towards Zi You¡¯s back.

    ¡°You¡¯er, be care careful!¡± Shangguan LingRan cried out in rm. He flew over and pushed her away, That sharp dagger sliced into his chest.

    ¡°Shangguan LingRan!¡± Zi You flew over like lightning. She repelled two attackers and grabbed hold of Shangguan LingRan.

    Shangguan Lingkan wanted to speak, but more enemies were attacking with swords. He once again shoved Zi You behind him and used his own body to block a sword for her.

    The sword pierced Shangguan LingRan¡¯s left shoulder de. When the sword was pulled out, Shangguan LingRan¡¯s blood sprayed far away.

    ¡°Ah.......¡± Zi You was crazy and her spiritual power greatly increased. In front of the waterfall, an earthshattering power rushed by. The waterfall immediately changed directions, like the Qiantang River, and rushed towards the few remaining attackers. The waterfall swept over the people and even carried them into the valley.

    Zi You slowly retracted her spiritual power. She threw herself in front of Shangguan LingRan and hissed through her teeth, ¡°You¡¯re the stupid one. Who asked you to block a sword for me?¡±

    After scolding him, Zi You suddenly changed from a little leopard into a gentle kitten. As she was crying, she asked worriedly, ¡°How are you doing? Can you hang on? I¡¯ll treat you right away. I beg you. Shangguan LingRan, you cannot die. If you die, our whole General¡¯s Manor will be executed.¡±

    Seeing her crying for him, Shangguan LingRan was originally very happy. He felt that it was worth it even if he died today.

    But in the next second, listening to the second half of her words, he was angered and coldly snorted. ¡°Huh...... this Shizi...... can¡¯t hang on anymore. This Shizi....... has been angered to death by...... you idiot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. Shangguan Lingkan, you¡¯re not dead.¡± Zi You saw that he didn¡¯t die and was well enough to speak. She smiled happily through her tears.

    She was originally a cold person and rarely smiled brightly. He thought that she was aloof and hard to approach during the many times that Shangguan Lingkan saw her. Even when she was trying to seduce Zhao HongXiang with her demonically charming smile, her eyes were still bone-chillingly cold.

    But at this moment, her smile was as warm as spring. The joy in her eyes was like hundreds of white flowers blooming together: bright and eyecatching

    Shangguan Lingkan saw this and felt that the pain in his body had reduced by a lot. He looked devilishly charmingly at her and was about to speak, but pulled his wound. He couldn¡¯t help but groan.

    Zi You gently held him up and quickly went to find medicine to treat his injuries.

    A haemostatic and blood-enriching pill: Dragon Blood Pill. She first put two into Shangguan LingRan¡¯s mouth and gave two to Weishali. Then she took out and poured haemostatic powder on Shangguan LingRan¡¯s wounds. She took out gauze cloth to bandage him up. When the gauze cloth ran out, she tore her clean clothing into strips and wrapped them around Shangguan LingRan.

    After treating Shangguan LingRan¡¯s injuries, she started treating Weishali¡¯s injuries. Then she heard Old General Mu and Mu Ying Yi¡¯s impatient shouts. ¡°You¡¯er, You¡¯er, hang on. Grandfather (uncle) ising.¡±

    Zi You loudly shouted back. ¡°Grandfather, uncle, hurry. I¡¯m over here.¡±

    Before her words finished, Old General Mu and Mu Ying Yi had quickly flew in front of her.

    Old General Mu anxiously pulled her over and carefully scrutinized her up and down. ¡°Sweetheart, are you hurt?¡±

    Zi You shook her head and pointed to the Shangguan LingRan lying on the ground. She said guilty, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but Shizi Ye is injured trying to protect me.¡¯

    Then Old General Mu finally saw the person and snake lying on the ground. He went over and said with gratitude, ¡°This old man will never forget Shizi Ye¡¯s great grace and kindness. This old man owes Shizi Ye a life. If Shizi Ye ever needs a favor, as long as it¡¯s not asking this old man tomit treason, defect to the enemy, or seize the throne, this old man is willing to do whatever you want.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan knew that Old General Mu was loyal to his imperial uncle, so he didn¡¯t say anything and awkwardly coughed. ¡°Cough, Old General Mu is too serious. This Shizi is a man and it¡¯s normal to protect a woman. Not to mention, this Shizi likes You¡¯er and doesn¡¯t want to see her injured.¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan suddenly spoke out his mind.

    Old General Mu and Mu Ying Yi thought they heard wrong. Zi You also thought she heard wrong.

    Did the attackers injure this person¡¯s head? Why is he speaking nonsense? How can someone who mocks me every time he sees me likes me?

    But if he doesn¡¯t like me, then why did he protect me with his life?

    Zi You felt her mind was in chaos. She resentfully picked up Weishali and said to her grandfather, ¡°Let¡¯s go, grandfather. Let¡¯s ignore this lecher.¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s impression of Shangguan LingRan was the same as everyone in high society in the capital. He thought he was a spoiled dandy with no talents who only knew how to drink and gamble.

    But what Shangguan Lingkan did today was really unexpected.

    Earlier, he heard Xie Yunfeng recount how Shangguan LingRan and You¡¯er faced off against more than thirty armed attackers.

    Just now, his granddaughter told him how this dandy used his own body to block a sword for her.

    Now, he admitted frankly and openly that he liked You¡¯er. He wasn¡¯t like other males who deeply buried their feelings and were afraid to say it out loud.

    No matter what, his behavior was not of a dandy, but a gentleman. Also, he was a gentleman very highly skilled in martial arts.

    Old General Mu¡¯s heroic eyebrows furrowed. He deliberately said in displeasure, ¡°Please take back what you just said, Shizi Ye. This old man¡¯s granddaughter is not yet engaged. Wouldn¡¯t your words ruin her reputation?¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan did not get angry. He lifted his fists politely and grimaced in pain. ¡°Please forgive LingRan¡¯s abruptness, Old General, but a man¡¯s word is worth nine sacred tripods. How can feelings be made into a joke? Nonsense? Casually retract them? LingRan¡¯s admiration for Mu Xiaojie is from the heart. Besides telling Old General and Mu Xiaojie today, these words have not been said to anyone else, so how can Mu Xiaojie¡¯s reputation be ruined? Please rest assured, Old General. As long as Old General agrees to LingRan¡¯s request, LingRan will get a matchmaker and send betrothal gifts. Not one procedure will be skipped. If Old General does not agree, Lingkan will not me you, but LingRan will not easily give... up.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking, but his head tilted and he fainted.

    It was very difficult for him to support himself after sustaining such injuries and losing so much blood.

    Old General Mu was about to tell someone to help Shangguan Lingkan up, but his granddaughter who spoke harshly just earlier, had already rushed over to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s side. She said extremely anxiously, ¡°Shangguan Lingkan, you can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m telling you, if you dare to sleep, I will drag you back from hell.¡±

    After shouting, she looked tearfully at her grandfather. ¡°Grandfather, he¡¯s like this because he saved me. We can¡¯t leave him here.¡±

    Old General Mu nodded. He was thinking, ¡°When did I say I was leaving him here? Didn¡¯t you yell that out? And now you¡¯re changing your mind?¡¯

    Old General Mu was afraid of something happening to Shangguan LingRan, so he didn¡¯t think too much. He had people quickly carry Shangguan LingRan into a horse carriage and galloped towards the capital.

    Zi You feared that Shangguan LingRan¡¯s wounds would rupture, so she held him stably in her arms. Old General Mu frowned at this. ¡°If you do this, aren¡¯t you afraid he won¡¯t let you go and ruin your reputation? You should know that your grandfather¡¯s position is very important and many people are eying it. Do you know who came by in the afternoon? Taizi Ye also wants to marry you as cefei. He even suggested marrying you so that you are second only to Taizifei. And Shizi Ye just mentioned marrying you. If the Emperor finds out, our General¡¯s Manor......¡±

    Zi You¡¯s confused heart finally calmed down after hearing her grandfather¡¯s words.

    However, she did not let go of Shangguan LingRan and continued stabilizing his upper body in her arms. She calmly said, ¡°Grandfather, You¡¯er knows what¡¯s at stake. You can rest assured that You¡¯er will never marry any wangzis or shizis. You¡¯er treating Shizi Ye like this is to repay his favor. Reputation is important, but a life is important too. Besides, if anything happens to Shizi Ye, our General¡¯s Manor will also be in trouble. Grandfather, whether it is for justice or private feelings, I cannot ignore him. Grandfather, do you know? This incident was caused by Shangguan Lingluo and that woman Wang

    Yiping. Shizi Ye told me that Wang Yiping sent a message to her maiden family and her maiden family sent a message to Shangguan Lingluo. Fortunately, Shizi Ye¡¯s people found out. Shizi Ye rushed to tell your granddaughter. Otherwise, granddaughter would be in danger. Those attackers risked their lives to kill me.¡±

    How could Old General Mu spare someone who dared to harm his granddaughter multiple times?

    Old General Mu decisively said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Grandfather will seek justice for you. Whether it is Fourth Gongzhu or that.... that cheap wench, grandfather won¡¯t let her off.¡±

    ¡°What does grandfather want to do?¡± Zi You couldn¡¯t help but ask. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust her grandfather. It was because she understood him too well. Her grandfather was upright and inspoken. He would certainlyin to the Emperor and find her unreliable father to divorce Wang Yiping.

    As a result, Shangguan Lingluo would be punished to stay at a temple for two months. Wang Yiping would leave the Mu family with her dowry and continue to be happy.

    Such punishment was letting them off too lightly. She would be sorry to herself if she didn¡¯t have them suffer in pain.

    Sure enough, her grandfather¡¯s response was the same as her thoughts. ¡°Grandfather will tell the matter of Wang Yiping and Shangguan Lingluo colluding to your father and the Emperor.¡±

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109</h4>

    Zi You asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence? Would the Emperor and father believe just your words? Besides, this way will expose Shizi Ye. We can¡¯t drag Shizi Ye down because we want revenge. Shizi Ye is a dandy who doesn¡¯t know martial arts. News of him being injured should be blocked and no one can find out, except for An Wangfei. Grandfather, the political situation right now is very delicate. Every step has to be carefully taken. Especially you and uncle. You both have military power in your hands. The Emperor values that, but also fears it. We have to guard against that. Granddaughter¡¯s opinion is to not startle the snake. Secretly taking action is safer than publicly taking action.¡±

    When Zi You was speaking, she appeared like a mature, intelligent adult, stunning Old General Mu silly. He secretly contemted that hardships really make people grow. After this incident, his granddaughter grew up.

    He was unaware that his granddaughter was already not a twelve-year-old child. She was a person who died once, after the multiple blows of the copse of her family, deceit of her stepmother and friend, betrayals of her husband and maidservant, and abandonment of her father.

    Old General Mu was inexplicably worried. He spoke to stop his granddaughter. ¡°What do you want to do? You¡¯er, grandfather forbids you to put yourself in danger or stain your hands with blood. Let grandfather deal with this. Be good. Be obedient.¡±

    ¡°Not staining my hands with blood? Then the one to die today would be me!¡± Zi You¡¯s emotions were a bit unstable as she yelled. Crystal beads of tears finally fell down. ¡°I also want to be pure, kind, happy, and carefree and live under your protection for a lifetime, but do others let me? Can you stay with me for a lifetime? Grandfather, that¡¯s not realistic. Think about Shizi Ye. He is the Empress Dowager¡¯s favorite grandson and An Wang Shizi Ye, but is forced to disguise as a dandy. Doesn¡¯t he want to be a good man praised by the masses for bring versed in civil and martial skills, like his father? He is nobler than your granddaughter, but he was forced......¡±

    ¡°Grandfather, some things don¡¯t happen ording to our wishes. What can I do? I can only meet it. I can¡¯t always hide under your wings and need your protection, so that one day I wouldn¡¯t even know how I died. Today¡¯s incident taught me two things. One, the battle between women is no less than on the cruel battlefield. Second, I¡¯m still not strong enough. If I¡¯m strong enough, then Shizi Ye wouldn¡¯t be injured trying to save me. So, I¡¯ve decided already. I will practice martial arts even harder, so that no one can harm me.¡±

    Zi You wiped the tears from her eyes. Her gaze was firm and her determination was resolute. The blood of a soldier waspletely manifested.

    Old General Mu was sad, pleased, and guilty. His tiger eyes became tearful. He pulled his granddaughter¡¯s hand and muttered in remorse. ¡°It¡¯s grandfather¡¯s fault. me grandfather for not protecting you well.¡±

    Zi You shook her head. She tightly held her grandfather¡¯s hand instead and softlyforted, ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t me yourself for something that¡¯s not your fault. In fact, being your granddaughter is the thing that makes You¡¯er the happiest and proudest. Grandfather, there is no such thing as guarding against an enemy for 1,000 days. I¡¯m weak so I will be bullied. I¡¯m strong and I will be envied. Shangguan Lingluo and I have no disagreement or vengeance between us. Why does she have to kill me? Thus, you can¡¯t stop someone from being evil. There is nothing fearsome. If shees, I will meet her and knock her down. No matter what, I, Mu Zi You, is your, the Invincible War God¡¯s, granddaughter. Would I be scared by a little difficulty?¡±

    Old General Mu looked at his strong granddaughter. His tears finally fell. Then the smile on his face expanded and eventually turned into heartyughter.

    The Shangguan LingRan whose upper body was supported by Zi You¡¯s arms, was already awake. He heard Zi You¡¯s words and his blood couldn¡¯t help but surge. His heart that was calm for many years suddenly set off monstrous waves.

    In reality, he was never unconscious. With his cultivation, this bit of injury wouldn¡¯t threaten his life. In addition, with the help of Zi You¡¯s top quality Dragon Blood Pill, he could start healing himself now.

    But he was just reluctant to leave the little yatou¡¯s soft and fragrant embrace.

    Moreover, he really wanted to know what the little yatou was thinking of. He felt that this little yatou, who was several years younger than him, was like an unknown treasure waiting for him to discover.

    And Zi You¡¯s speech did not disappoint him. Only, he did not expect that this twelve-year-old little yatou to understand his difficulties and ambitions. She even believed that he was not a real dandy and even guessed that he was forced into helplessly disguising himself.

    Her voice was filled with sympathy and not ridicule or contempt. Shangguan Lingkan suddenly felt that he was no longer alone in the world. The little yatou who held him in her arms understood him.

    Old General Mu finally calmed down after a long time. He asked excitedly, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Zi You thought about it. ¡°Grandfather, can you let You¡¯er take care of this on her own? If You¡¯er encounters any difficulties or danger, You¡¯er will definitely tell you. Now, You¡¯er has to ask you to find a way to cover up the fact that Shizi Ye is injured and recuperating at the General¡¯s Manor and get An Wangfei to secretlye see him without letting that woman know.¡±

    Old General Mu nodded. ¡°Okay, grandfather will arrange it. Do you want to keep him in Hundred Herb Garden?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll keep him Youran Ju. Say that I¡¯m injured, grandfather. I need to rest and people are not allowed to visit. Then heavily protect Hundred Herb Garden. Let¡¯s give them a true and false image. From now on, I will have someone watch Wang Yiping twentyfour hours a day. I want to see, I really want to see, who is the one tipping her off,¡± Zi You replied.

    Old General Mu looked gratified at his granddaughter. He stroked his beard and smiled widely.

    But a part of him was regretful that his granddaughter was a girl and not a soldier, yet still more resourceful and intelligent than his second son [Mu YingRui]

    Shangguan LingRan also felt that Zi You was like a small fox: charming on the outside, but cunning on the inside. Perhaps no one could imagine that this elegant and beautiful girl would have so many tricks.

    Once he saw Weishali, he knew that Wang Yiping and her brother being bitten by a snake at Duke Yingguo fu was her handiwork.

    What a good job! She made Wang Yiping, her yiniang, and her brother eat such a big loss. They were suspected for a long time and Zi You was praised for her filial piety towards her mother.

    They soon arrived at the General¡¯s Manor. Zi You disguised Shangguan LingRan as her and carried him into Youran Ju.

    She disguised herself as a soldier. She followed the troops from behind and entered the General¡¯s Manor. She snuck into Hundred Herb Garden and treated Weishali¡¯s injuries.

    Weishali had four or five gashes on its body. The pill she gave it earlier had stopped the bleeding. All that remained was to treat the wounds.

    Zi You patted its head sympathetically. ¡°Thank you for saving me! I will use my spiritual power to heal you.¡±

    Weishali firmly refused. ¡°No, master had already used your spiritual power once. It will be dangerous if you repeatedly use it. It doesn¡¯t matter. I have spiritual power and consumed master¡¯s pill. If I generate my power to heal myself, I will heal in three days. Master does not need to worry.¡±

    Zi You was sad. She stroked it and muttered, ¡°Weishali, when can you cultivate into a human form? I am alone and feel so tired.¡±

    There were some things that she couldn¡¯t tell even her grandfather and buried them deep in her heart. How could she tell him that she was reborn and died miserably in her previous life?

    And how could she tell her grandfather her n for revenge? If grandfather wouldn¡¯t be scared to death, he would be scared into unconsciousness. Wouldn¡¯t grandfather say she was too cruel? After all, he was a soldier and not a politician.

    She already had a lot of pressure from hiding so many things in her heart. Now she had to deal with Wang Yiping and Shangguan Lingluo who wanted to harm her and Taizi and Third Wangzi who wanted to use her.

    She couldn¡¯t even fully believe that Shangguan LingRan saved her simply because he liked her.

    Looking back at his previous behavior, she wouldn¡¯t deny that he might like her a little bit. But there must be some other factors involved. After all, her grandfather held military power in his hands.However, she had to save Shangguan LingRan. After all, he was injured due to saving her. If she ignored him, then she would be a thankless, ungrateful viin.

    Saving him was also to return his affection. After she saved him, they would no longer have any sort of rtionship.

    Zi You did exactly what she thought. She treated Shangguan LingRan¡¯s injuries, but her attitude towards him was ice-cold.

    Shangguan LingRan was extremely depressed! He originally thought that he and the little yatou could cultivate their feelings while he was staying in the General¡¯s Manor.

    Who knew that the little yatou tapped his acupuncture points every night when she came to quietly change his dressing? He couldn¡¯t speak or move his hands and feet.

    On the third day, Third Wangzi came. He brought a lot of tonics and supplements. He said indignantly and worriedly to Old General Mu, ¡°Benwangzi was terrified to hear that there was an attempted assassination on Mu Xiaojie! Who is so bold as to try to assassinate someone under the eyes of the Emperor? Is Mu Xiaojie alright? Can Benwangzi take a look at her?¡±

    Old General Mu pretended to be distressed and angrily said, ¡°Chen [literally: this official] doesn¡¯t know. There were no clues. When Chen arrived, they all took poison andmitted suicide. Chen¡¯s granddaughter and the guards were all injured. If the guards didn¡¯t desperately try to save You¡¯er, she would have died. Chen really doesn¡¯t know who is so deranged and wants to kill You¡¯er. If Chen finds out whom he is, Chen will skin him!¡±

    As Old General Mu was lying, he was worrying. He didn¡¯t know whether the Worriless Pill his precious granddaughter invented was going to work.

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110</h4>

    The three xiaojies were frightened out of their wits. His granddaughter said that it was a pill to suppress their fear and at the same time, make them forget what happened. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone know that Shizi Ye knows martial arts. It will bring him trouble. With this pill, they will only remember what happened in the valley before the attack and forget their terrible experience.¡±

    There was such a magical pill? Old General Mu was skeptical. He was also worried about his granddaughter¡¯s secretive conduct.

    Third Wangzi¡¯s facial expression made Old General Mu wonder whether this wangzi, like Shangguan LingRan, actually liked his granddaughter.

    Third Wangzi actually started crying when he heard that Zi You could have lost her life. ¡°Old General Mu, please rest assured. Benwangzi will investigate this matter and find out who is responsible for it. Benwangzi wants to see You¡¯er or Benwangzi won¡¯t be able to eat or sleep. Old General, Benwangzi won¡¯t hide it from you. Since that time at Duke Anguo fu, when she forced fourth meimei to apologize, Benwangzi found it hard to forget......¡±

    ¡°Third Wangzi.¡± Unfortunately, Third Wangzi had not finished speaking, but was interrupted by Old General Mu. ¡°Third Wangzi, Chen¡¯s granddaughter is vulgar and not worthy of Third Wangzi¡¯s affections. Please don¡¯t say such words anymore. You¡¯er is young and had not yet reached marriageable age. Please forgive Chen for not allowing Third Wangzi to visit her. A male really cannot go into a female¡¯s boudoir.¡±

    ¡°Then can Benwangzi take a look from outside the courtyard gate?¡± Third Wangzi pled, with the appearance of a man in love. Also, the suffering in his eyes would seem sincere no matter who looked at him.

    Old General Mu had some doubts about refusing him, but once he thought about his status and identity, he still shook his head. He refused him somewhat guiltily. ¡°Asking Third Wangzi for his understanding! Chen will ept the things, but asks Third Wangzi to please go back. Chen is also thinking for Third Wangzi¡¯s sake. An unmarried man and woman will attract criticism and gossip.¡±

    Third Wangzi was helpless and could only leave with regrets. It was said that as he left the General¡¯s Manor, he kept turning his head back to take a look.

    On the fourth day, Taizi came. But Taizi did not only bring medicinal supplements and tonics. He also brought along an imperial doctor who specialized in treating external injuries.

    Upon seeing Old General Mu, Taizi¡¯s face was filled with concern. He asked anxiously and in rm, ¡°This Taizi just received the news and was shocked and worried into speechlessness! This Taizi hurried to find an imperial doctor and didn¡¯t even change the court attire. This is too deranged! Who would dare to do such a thing in broad daylight and under the eyes of the Emperor? Did you find out who did it?¡±

    They were definitely brothers. Their words were exactly the same. Zi You hung on a beam in the roof and revealed a contemptuous smile.

    This Taizi could not catch up to Third Wangzi though. Third Wangzi and Shangguan Lingluo were not close. However, this Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s rtionship were as close as if they were biological siblings. Could Taizi not know about Shangguan Lingluo sending assassins after her? It was impossible.

    He must be here today to inquire as to whether Shangguan Lingkan helped her that day, because Shangguan LingRan had been ¡°missing¡± for three days.

    The Empress Dowager and the Emperor had sent people to search for him everywhere, but there was still no news.

    It was said that the Empress Dowager and An Wangfei were so anxious that their hair turned white and they fainted from crying.

    The reality was that on the night of the incident, An Wangfei and old prime minister came to the General¡¯s Manor. An Wangfei almost fainted after seeing how injured Shangguan LingRan was.

    The old prime minister was more shocked than his daughter. In spite of his distress, he still maintained his calmness. He didn¡¯t reproach, but deeply bowed to Old General Mu. ¡°This old man thanks Old General for his life-saving grace! But this old man asks Old General for your help. Please let Shizi Ye recuperate at your manor before letting him leave. To tell you the truth, the fact that Shizi Ye knows martial arts cannot be revealed. Otherwise, he will be killed.¡±

    Old General Mu guiltily went to help him up. ¡°Old prime minister, you think too highly of this old man! When ites to life-saving grace, it should be this old man who thanks Shizi Ye for saving this old man¡¯s granddaughter. Please rest assured, prime minister. This old man will definitely protect Shizi Ye and send him back when he is recovered from his injuries. That¡¯s not a problem. The main point is if the Emperor asks why Shizi Ye disappeared, how will you exin?¡±

    The prime minister was also worried. The Emperor kept his grandson in Jingdu to hold him hostage to control his son-inw.

    The Emperor meticulously reared him into a ¡°dandy¡± to have the Emperor¡¯s children and grandchildren sit on the throne forever, without having An Wang usurp the throne.

    This matter was probably known by the Empress Dowager. But what could she do? Both of them were her sons.

    The old prime minister shook his head and said, embarrassed, ¡°This matter is indeed tricky. If the Emperor finds out that Shizi Ye is injured trying to save Mu Xiaojie, the matter of Shizi Ye knowing martial arts will be exposed. Not only that, but it will cause the Emperor to suspect Old General, this old man, and An Wang. The thing to do presently is to have Shizi Ye appear safe and sound in front of the Emperor.¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s tiger eyes rounded. ¡°Shizi Ye is this injured. How can he appear safe and sound in front of the Emperor?¡±

    Zi You heard this and walked into the study. She respectfully curtsied and said, ¡°Prime minister, as long as you can gain three days for me, I promise I will return a healthy and active Shizi Ye to you.¡±

    Using pills and spiritual power, Zi You healed Shangguan LingRan. Early this morning, he was disguised as a maidservant and sent out.

    Zi You came up with the disguise. Shangguan Lingkan originally looked devilishly charming. It was very easy to use makeup to turn him into a female.

    However, men in ancient times were willing to lose their heads before they would agree to disguising as a female. If this was found out, he didn¡¯t need to live anymore. It was too humiliating.

    So, when Shangguan LingRan heard that Zi You wanted to disguise him as a female, his devilishly charming peach blossom eyes red at her. He gloomily said, ¡°Are you taking revenge for me previously mocking you? I¡¯m telling you. Even if this Shizi Ye dies, this Shizi Ye won¡¯t disguise as......¡±

    His words weren¡¯t finished yet, but Zi You once again went to tap his acupuncture points. Shangguan Lingkan was so angry his liver hurt.

    This darned yatou! She tapped his acupuncture points at the drop of a hat. In the past three days, he was injured so he couldn¡¯t block off his acupuncture points. Thus, every time she came to treat him, she would tap his acupuncture points.

    Just because he was always saying ¡°scoundrel-like¡± things to her, she treated his sincere confession as words from a scoundrel. Wasn¡¯t that infuriating?

    He had to look at the beauty in front of him but he couldn¡¯t speak to or touch her.

    He smelled the light fragrance on her body and wanted to get close to smell her. But she had to ruin his chances.

    Now, his injuries were healed. If he let her seed again and miss out on this opportunity, then his years of learning martial arts were wasted.

    If Zi You did not use her strongest spiritual power and based on just her martial arts, she naturally was not Shangguan LingRan¡¯s opponent. Therefore, after the two sparred a bit, Shangguan LingRan quickly got the upper hand tightly hugged her in his arms. Heughed evilly in her ear. ¡°Little yatou, this Shizi Ye¡¯s injuries are healed. How can you restrain me? I want to see how you dare to stretch your ws out like a little lion and randomly tap my acupuncture points. You¡¯re bold enough to dare to provoke this Shizi Ye. You ungrateful little idiot. This Shizi Ye was injured and lost so much blood to save you. You not only don¡¯t marry me out of gratitude, but you¡¯re not obedient......¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan had Zi Youpletely in his arms. His unique bamboo fragrance and the smell of male hormones rushed into her nose.

    Plus, he kept blowing in her ears. Zi You started to feel ticklish. She couldn¡¯t help but shift and twist her body, struggling with her life. As a result, her soft little buttocks rubbed against Shangguan LingRan¡¯s lower abdomen. He himself didn¡¯t even know what was going on and reacted.

    He felt strange thinking about it. How could he react to a twelve-year-old little yatou?

    Even if he liked her, even if she was very beautiful, and even if her scent rxed him, her soft and weak body was still that of an underage little yatou.

    He spent time at brothels and opera theaters yearround. What kind of charming and beautiful woman had he not seen before?

    Moreover, the Pce housed a lot of beautiful women. But he really didn¡¯t have any feelings for any women. This was really strange!

    Zi You might have been reborn, but she never did such a charming and gentle thing with Zhao HongXiang. In her previous life, she was passive and unknowledgeable about male and female rtions. Whenever Zhao Hong Xiang wanted to be intimate with her, she vehemently resisted. She didn¡¯t know why, but she knew she didn¡¯t want to be that way with him.

    This was also one of the reasons that he was seduced by Yu Lanxuan. Zhao Hong Xiang thought she was too cold, unlike Yu Lanxuan¡¯s wild and passionate nature.

    So, the pitiful little yatou had no idea what that thing against her waist was. She thought Shangguan LingRan was touching her lower back with his hand. She angrily scolded, ¡°Lecher! Obscene!¡± And she tried to grab it.

    She actually managed to grab a hold of Shangguan LingRan.

    Shangguan LingRan felt a surge of electricity rush through. His body was numb and his mind was nk. He didn¡¯t know anything anymore.

    Zi You still did not know what was in her little hand. She thought Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand had touched her coat.

    She turned around and was dumbfounded! She must really be a fool if she didn¡¯t know what the thing in that area was.

    Ordinary little xiaojies would probably bashfully run away. But Zi You was very different from those weak and delicate xiaojies in this lifetime.

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111</h4>

    Not only did she not flee, but she rushed forwards to beat Shangguan LingRan. ¡°You big lecher! Dandy, pervert! Rogue!¡±

    At this time, Shangguan Lingkan was still confused and dazed. He was still immersed in the feeling of when Zi You grabbed onto him earlier. That wonderful sensation hammered him hard, like Zi You¡¯s beating of her fists.

    Actually, Zi You was so angry right now that she forgot to use her internal strength and spiritual power. Her punches caused no damage to Shangguan LingRan. They were pretty much tickling him.

    And Shangguan Lingkan was beaten silly by her. He didn¡¯t defend himself and only retreated. He didn¡¯t see a small chair behind him and tripped over it. Thus, he fell down.

    Zi You was focused on attacking, kicking, and punching, so she didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly fall down. Shangguan Lingkan fell and she too fell due to inertia. And coincidentally, she fell on top of Shangguan LingRan. In an unguarded moment, the two people¡¯s lips pressed together.

    What! Zi You was also rendered silly. Her mind too went nk.

    And the culprit below her body was rendered dazed by this unexpected good fortune. He didn¡¯t know where he was.

    He just felt that the small body on top of him was fragrant, soft, and supple. The taste of those petallike lips was indescribably pleasant. They were soft and sweet, something he had never tasted or experienced before.

    Shangguan LingRan was sixteen and a half years old. Even in modern times, he was considered an adult, not to mention in ancient times. [TL Note: The age of consent in China is fourteen.]

    Therefore, this rascal, while Zi You was spacing out, sneakily wrapped his arm around Zi You¡¯s waist and stuck his tongue out to lick her lips.

    When his tongue touched the little yatou¡¯s lips, she finally reacted. She suddenly jumped up from his arms and started scolding him with a red face. ¡°Vulgar pervert! Scoundrel! Dandy!......¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan was actually a bit shy at this time. Although he disguised himself as a dandy, he was really a virgin.

    That brothel he frequented and couldn¡¯t bear to leave was the prime minister¡¯s and Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s base. It was equivalent to his intelligence station.

    Most of the prostitutes there were trained spies. Their martial arts weren¡¯t weak. Shangguan LingRan was their young master.

    The real Shangguan Lingkan was demonic and ruthless. He didn¡¯t trust people and rarely formed good impressions of people. He treated human lives as grass. His name in Jianghu was ¡°Heartless Gongzi.¡±

    His weapon was a curved de that was as thin as cicada wings: Silver Moon Hook. When he killed people, he had one move: waist-cutting. He chopped a person in half at the waist.

    He also had an exceptional skill: Fire Cloud Palm. One palm strike and you would feel as you were burned alive from the inside.

    That day in the mountain, he was afraid that Zi You would be afraid of his cruel methods and of his identity being exposed, so he didn¡¯t use that move.

    He had never reacted to any female spies who tried to seduce him. So it was strange. He reacted to a little yatou like Zi You? Wasn¡¯t this strange?

    Since he had feelings for her, then he wouldn¡¯t easily give her up. Although he couldn¡¯t marry early, that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t get engaged early. He too wanted to marry a sweet little wife and have seven or eight children.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be like his father and marry so many concubines and make his wife sad. He wouldn¡¯t want his wife to be like his mother and spend her days in tears.

    Shangguan LingRan belonged to the active category. He would absolutely take the initiative once he found his target. Also, he had a double personality. He was ruthless to others, but extremely gentle when it came to people he liked. He would also take the initiative to confess.

    He wouldn¡¯t originally, but he spent all day with those other three dandies and inevitably learned picked up some tricks.

    He quickly walked over seeing Zi You ferociously wiping her lips. He took out his bamboo-scented handkerchief and wiped Zi You¡¯s rosy and plump, petal-like lips. ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t rub so hard. I¡¯ll be distressed if you start bleeding. Rest assured. My lips are very clean. Other than you, I haven¡¯t touched anyone else.¡±

    Zi You might have been deceived by Zhao HongXiang in her previous life and no longer believed in men. However, she didn¡¯t know why, but a trace of indescribable warmth still rushed up in her heart when she looked into his crystal-clear and glistening phoenix eyes that reflected her image like a clear spring.

    Thus, she stomped her feet and said resentfully, ¡°Sweet-talking lecher. I don¡¯t know how many women you have said those words to. Now you¡¯re deceiving me with them?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan heard her doubting him and reacted differently than Zhao HongXiang, who swore a vicious oath in her previous life. He retrieved his gentle smile and said sharply and fiercely, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you suspect me of lying to you, but can you not insult me? I, Heartless Gongzi, wouldn¡¯t say such nauseating words to a woman. If I don¡¯t like you, would I pay attention to that cheap wench Shangguan Lingluo? If I don¡¯t like you, would I risk my life to save you? If I don¡¯t like you, would I let you scold and beat me without responding? Go ask around Jianghu [wuxia/ martial arts milieu) if there is a left person alive under Heartless Gongzi¡¯s hands. I said that you are stupid, but you won¡¯t admit it. Mu Zi You, you¡¯re the world¡¯s biggest idiot!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Heartless Gongzi?¡± Zi You was shocked. She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°How is that possible? Heartless Gongzi¡¯s move is waist cutting. Why didn¡¯t I see you chop people in half that day?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan got angry and red fiercely at Zi You. He hated that he couldn¡¯t pick her up and spank her little butt. He endured for a long time and finally said lowly, ¡°I finally know how stupid you are today. If I wasn¡¯t afraid of scaring you, would I get injured? If I wasn¡¯t afraid that the Emperor would find out that your family was colluding with Jianghu members, wouldn¡¯t I use my move? Instead, I had to waste time with those crazy killers. I did so much for you, but you can¡¯t see any of it. What are you using your big eyes for?¡±?

    He roared hisst words and stepped forwards. Zi You lowered her head and guilty took a step back. When she couldn¡¯t retreat anymore, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Who made you the capital¡¯s famous dandy? Your bad name is infamous. How can I trust you?¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan smiled a cold, demonic smile capable of confusing all living beings. ¡°I didn¡¯t hide it from you that I knew martial arts by the second time we met. You know exactly what kind of person I am. Why are you pretending to be innocent now?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan without his disguise had a demonic and evil charm. His aura pressured you, but you couldn¡¯t help but be charmed by him.

    Zi You felt that Shangguan LingRan was like a poppy flower. She knew it was poisonous, but there was a mysterious force tempting her to not fear death.

    Zi You clearly knew that she couldn¡¯t get close to him, but she didn¡¯t know why she wanted to vent out all her grievances to Shangguan LingRan.

    Crystal-like beads of tears fell down her porcinwhite face. Her choked voice contained countless sorrow and grievances. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. When the people closest to you plot to murder you and use you, you tell me who I can trust? Even when you didn¡¯t do anything, someone still wants to kill you. Tell me if I should trust a dandy who makes fun of me as soon as he sees me? You saw what happened at Duke Yongang fu, Duke Yingguo fu, and Duke Anguo fu. My grandfather holds military power in his hand, but can¡¯t even guarantee my safety. Do you think I¡¯m willing to walk carefully on thin ice? Wuu......¡±

    Although Shangguan Lingkan was causing trouble and mischief all day, that was just an act. He had never used his real emotions. When it came to rtionships, he was a nk piece of paper.

    He had never experienced this heavy and gloomy feeling in his heart before. He started walked towards Zi You.

    He took out a delicately embroidered handkerchief and clumsily helped Zi You wipe her tears. He didn¡¯t know how to control his strength and rubbed Zi You¡¯s fine skin red.

    Zi You thought that since he spent all day in brothels, even if he was disguising as a dandy, he would certainly be skilled at coaxing women.

    But seeing him so clumsy, she couldn¡¯t help but snatch the handkerchief and mock him. ¡°And you¡¯re disguising as a dandy. You don¡¯t even know how to wipe tears for a female. You¡¯re not afraid that you will be exposed?¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan snorted disdainfully. ¡°Are they worthy of having this Shizi Ye wipe their tears? You underestimate Ye. The only person who Ye will personally wait on is you.¡±

    The previous life¡¯s Zi You was deceived by Zhao HongXiang¡¯s sweet words. So, she not only couldn¡¯t stand this sort of words, but was even disgusted by them.

    Thus, she immediately threw the handkerchief back at him and denounced, ¡°Don¡¯t say such disgusting words. Hurry and put makeup on so you can scram out of our General¡¯s Manor.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was confused by her sudden about-face. He felt that he took a step forwards to close their distance, but he look a big step back in the blink of an eye.

    Now he finally understood his friends¡¯ words. A woman¡¯s heart was like a needle in the ocean. That was so true. He had no idea what to make of it.

    Shangguan LingRan was anxious. It was hard for him to like someone. Actually, it could be said that it was very difficult. If he didn¡¯t hurry and capture this little yatou¡¯s heart and she was stolen by other gongzis, wouldn¡¯t he be single his whole life?

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head. He sat down in front of Zi You and said, ¡°I can promise you to disguise... disguise as a woman and sneak out of the General¡¯s Manor. But you have to promise me something.¡±

    Zi You originally did not want to promise anything. However, once she thought about this gue staying at the General¡¯s Manor, not only was he not safe, but the General¡¯s Manor would be under watch. There were strangers wandering around the General¡¯s Manor these past two days.

    It was more important to send him out of here first. Thus, Zi You coldly asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan gritted his teeth and steeled his heart. ¡°I want you to promise me that you won¡¯t marry another person. You can only marry this Ye.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± Zi You scolded, ¡°Lecher! Scoundrel! Who wants to marry you? Go die!¡±

    Then she picked up the makeup brush and doodled messily on his face. Sheughed like flowers blooming. ¡°Haha...... You dare to speak nonsense? I¡¯ll have you be a rat that everyone beats up.¡±

    He stared foolishly at her smile that was more delicate than flowers. He didn¡¯t care whether he would turn into a rat or not.

    Only until Zi You handed a mirror for him to take a look did he grabbed the brush and started drawing on Zi You¡¯s face.

    Zi You quickly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t fool around. Go wash your face. You don¡¯t want to leave the General¡¯s Manor now?¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan stretched out his muscr arms and suddenly wrapped them around Zi You.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes were anxious and she started to struggle desperately again.

    Shangguan Lingkan caught her hands and said, full of reluctance to part, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me hug you a bit. Just a bit. I really don¡¯t want to leave here. Because after I leave, you will once again be far away from me. After I leave, it will be difficult to see you again. You¡¯er, I beg you. Before I can convince imperial grandmother to marry you to me, don¡¯t get engaged to anyone else, okay?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you speaking again?¡± Zi You was bashful and irritated. She fiercely pushed him. ¡°You¡¯re a lecher and a scoundrel! Who wants to marry you?¡±

    ¡°We......... we¡¯ve kissed.¡± Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You¡¯s face turning red and as fierce as if she wanted to eat him. He was scared into lowering his voice. As he slowly retreated, he muttered, ¡°Men and women should maintain distance. We¡¯ve already had intimate rtions. You can¡¯t renege.¡±

    As he was moving backwards, he almost tripped over a chair again. Perhaps due to him being shy, he didn¡¯t use martial arts and stumbled around before stabilizing himself.

    Zi You looked at his sorry figure and thought about his ¡°Heartless Gongzi¡± moniker and his arrogance in the capital. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but soften.

    But once she thought about her previous life¡¯s miserable and humiliating death, she said with a straight face, ¡°Are you leaving or not? I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t leave soon, you¡¯ll die. It has nothing to do with me.¡±

    She turned away to leave, but was pulled by Shangguan LingRan.

    He was obviously a bit scared of her and said, anxiously and in panic, ¡°I¡¯m leaving, I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m leaving now, okay?¡±

    Zi You sat him down, opened her makeup box, and started putting rouge on him.

    Shangguan Lingkan felt Zi You¡¯s hand touch him periodically. His heartbeats were like drums and his mouth went dry. He stared at her deep and beautiful eyes and hated that he couldn¡¯t pause time at this moment.

    Zi You didn¡¯t know what he was fantasizing about, because, under her magical hand putting makeup on Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face, a beautiful woman appeared before her.

    Shangguan LingRan had bright eyes and white teeth. He was as delicate as a flower and refined as jade, with vermilion lips. Many beautiful women could notpare to him.

    Zi You thought: ¡®Evildoer!¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe that this fellow disguised as a woman could be capable of causing the downfall of a country.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You staring at him amazed and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a devilishly charming smile. ¡°Love-struck fool!¡±

    Zi You looked him smiling like he could confuse all living beings and couldn¡¯t help wanting to tease him. She pinched his white and tender face and smiled enchantingly and charmingly, ¡°Beauty,e this Ye¡¯s fu. Let this Ye dote on you.¡±

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan was stunned once again. The person in front of him smiled like an spirit amidst flowers. She was suddenly extremely charming and soul-sucking. He unconsciously and foolishly looked at Zi You.

    There was no banter or charm in his eyes. There was only affection and love. In addition to his devilishly charming looks, Zi You¡¯s heart finally jumped uncontrobly......

    Zi You strongly suppressed the panic in her heart and rubbed off Shangguan LingRan¡¯s makeup with a handkerchief. Then she quickly made him up into an ugly woman with drooping eyelids and thick lips.

    Then she stood up and started walking outside. She feigned coldness and said, ¡°Wait here. Someone will take you out of the fu.¡±

    Shangguan Lingkan knew it would be difficult to see her again, so he held her. He almost implored, ¡°You¡¯er, promise me. Before imperial grandmother gives permission for me to marry you as my wife, don¡¯t get engaged to anyone else, okay?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s face once again turned red. She kicked him and scolded fiercely, ¡°Scram! You¡¯re sick!¡±

    She flew away and disappeared.

    Shangguan LingRan smiled wryly at the direction she disappeared from until a woman and a bodyguard came over. They smiled and said, ¡°We pay our respects to Shizi Ye! Pleasee with us, Shizi Ye.¡± That¡¯s when Shangguan LingRan ran over to look in the mirror.

    This look startled Shangguan LingRan. The maidservant in the mirror was ugly enough to frighten people. At this rate, no one would ever associate this maidservant with him.

    Shangguan LingRan grinned. Even he was scared by his own appearance. He shook his head as he left the General¡¯s Manor, depressed.

    He wanted to turn around several times, but didn¡¯t dare to do so. Only after he got onto the horse carriage did he brush open the curtain. That imposing and dignified General¡¯s Manor was getting further away from him.

    At this time, the Zi You in Hundred Herb Garden was not as calm as she looked.

    In ancient times, an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl who knew about rtionships could be found everywhere. Moreover, her soul was that of her previous life¡¯s sixteen-year-old self.

    But it was precisely because she had the memories of her previous life¡¯s miserable and devastating experiences, she closed the door to her heart and the window to her feelings.

    Shangguan LingRan using his life to protect her was like throwing a pebble in her calm heart. Only she knew how much ripples it caused.

    She still remembered that her grandfather married her to Zhao HongXiang in her previous life because one, her grandfather understood Duke Yongnan. He thought that his character wasn¡¯t bad. And secondly, it was to avoid the wangzis¡¯ fighting.

    The wangzis wanting to marry her in her previous life was certainly for her grandfather¡¯s military power. But now? Zi You also knew that her outstanding performance in Duke Anguo fu had attracted a lot of attention.

    It seemed that there was only way to avoid all the wangzis. That was to get engaged to Zhao HongXiang, like in her previous life.

    But she wouldn¡¯t stupidly marry that beast like she did in her previous life. In this life, she would rely on herself! She would definitely have Duke Yongnan fu and Zhao HongXiang fall from grace.

    Thinking of her previous life¡¯s deep hatred, Zi You gave herself a p in the face. What time was it now? She had no big breakthroughs in martial arts or spiritual power recently. Yet she was still letting her imagination run wild.

    Weren¡¯t her previous life¡¯s lessons enough? No matter what, you can¡¯t believe in men¡¯s feelings towards you. Therefore, close the door to your feelings and practice your martial arts and spiritual power and study medicine. What is so scary about not marrying anyone?

    Thinking like that, Zi You finally became as peaceful as water. She immersed herself in the cultivation of her martial arts and spiritual power.

    At this time, Shangguan LingRan and some elderly servants from the General¡¯s Manor were buying food at the market. They blended into the crowd and soon disappeared.

    After a while, a maidservant who was wearing the same clothes as Shangguan LingRan emerged. She and the servants got on a horse carriage and returned to the General¡¯s Manor.

    The Shangguan LingRan in the crowd was soon picked up by people from the Prime Minister fu. He changed into male clothing and went to the Pce.

    The Pce was already in a mess. The Emperor was saying to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Muhou, it¡¯s not good. It¡¯s been three or four days that we can¡¯t find Ling¡¯er. Erchen has sent several people to search for him everywhere, but they couldn¡¯t find him. Erchen heard that there was a bloody fight on Yunwu Mountain four days ago. More than thirty assassins were sent to kill Old General Mu¡¯s granddaughter Mu Zi You who was ying on the mountain. As a result, Mu Xiaojie and her guards were all injured and the thirty-odd assassins were killed.¡±

    As the Emperor was speaking, he was closely observing the Empress Dowager¡¯s expression. He feigned grief as he said, ¡°Although Ling¡¯er was not found among the corpses, but Erchen heard someone say that Ling¡¯er went up the mountain that day. Erchen is afraid that Ling¡¯er liked Mu Xiaojie. He wanted to snatch her and angered Mu Xiaojie. They got into a conflict and started fighting. As a result, to Ling¡¯er, she identally......¡±

    ¡°Impossible, impossible!¡± The Empress Dowager was distressed and worried. No matter what, she wouldn¡¯t believe that her favorite grandson would do such a muddleheaded thing.

    However, she was a little afraid, because she knew that Ling¡¯er actually did like that yatou Zi You.

    She was not worried that Zi You and the guards wounded or killed Shangguan LingRan. She was afraid that Shangguan LingRan went to secretly meet Zi You and was followed by those assassins. That¡¯s why those people would kill Shangguan LingRan.

    She even knew that her son, the Emperor, in front of her was one of the people who wanted to kill her grandson. A few wangzis also wanted to kill him. That was because of Daoist priest Tianxuan¡¯s prophecy. ¡°I have observed the night sky. The Sirius star is descending. The Emperor¡¯s empire will change masters within forty years. This person is also from the imperial family. I cannot calcte who he is. But I know that he is born in April and the year of the dragon, with two moles on the forehead.¡±

    Carnage and terror followed Daoist priest Tianxuan¡¯s words in the imperial family. Almost all people born April and in the year of the dragon were killed off.

    In the end, An Wangfei was afraid that the Shangguan LingRan in her belly would be killed. She inducedbor to give birth to the child on March 26th who would have originally been born on April 8th.

    However, even if birth was induced, because he had two moles on his forehead, he was still guarded against. It was unclear how many times he had been harmed since he was a child. The Empress Dowager had cultivated him into a dandy to protect his life.

    It was a pity that even if he was a dandy, someone still wouldn¡¯t let him go and wanted his life.

    The Empress Dowager felt her whole body turn cold. She couldn¡¯t understand why her eldest son was so ruthless and suspicious.

    Thus, she waved her hand. She didn¡¯t want to look at him anymore. She sadly went to lie down. Tears started flowing down.

    That was her biological grandson. How could she not be in pain? Moreover, Shangguan LingRan was a dandy in front of outsiders, but knew how to cajole and make her happy the most. She was closer to him than the Emperor¡¯s wangzis.

    Seeing the Empress Dowager sadly crying, the Empress Dowager¡¯s confidant Leng momo [elderly pcedy, wet nurse] knew that the Empress Dowager was panicking. Thus, she rushed to advise, ¡°Empress Dowager, it¡¯s no good if you¡¯re sad. Right now, you can only send people to find Shizi Ye. If he¡¯s alive, you have to see his person. If he¡¯s dead, you have to see his corpse. Don¡¯t listen to the Emperor.¡± The Empress Dowager suddenly sat up and said to Leng momo, ¡°Think of a way to send a letter to Duke Anguo fu. Say that it is Aijia¡¯s intentions and tell Duke Anguo to go to Prime Minister fu. He has to find Ling¡¯er.¡±

    Leng momo quickly tried to stop her, ¡°Empress Dowager, right now, you¡¯re panicking in a crisis. Did you forget that you selected Fourth Xiaojie [Liu Ruixue] to be Taizi Ye¡¯s cefei? Will Duke Anguo fu help Shizi Ye?¡±

    The Empress Dowager was about to speak, but heard from outside, ¡°Nubi pays respects to Shizi Ye. Wishing Shizi Ye good fortune!¡±

    Leng momo immediately grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Empress Dowager, Shizi Ye is back.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan walked in crookedly and improperly. He suddenly rushed into the Empress Dowager¡¯s bosom and tearfully acted spoiled. ¡°Imperial grandmother, your grandson almost couldn¡¯te back.¡±

    The Empress Dowager hugged him and cried. ¡°Where have you been these past four days? We couldn¡¯t find you anywhere.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head. He looked extremely humiliated and angry. He said righteously, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Grandson lost face. Grandson ys with people yearlong, but was yed by someone. A richndlord from Shanxi liked grandson and didn¡¯t know grandson¡¯s identity. He had someone knock grandson out and snuck grandson out of the capital to take grandson back to Shanxi.¡±

    Rich ancient people loved keeping pets. And Shangguan LingRan was very good-looking. Otherwise, how could he be called the capital¡¯s number one beauty?

    The Empress Dowager was angered to death! She secretly swore. A merendlord dared to kidnap an imperial descendant? This man had guts!

    But then again, if her grandson didn¡¯t spend all his time in the red-light district, perhaps this incident wouldn¡¯t have happened? However, she was more than halfway responsible for her grandson turning out like this.

    The Empress Dowager rubbed her grandson¡¯s head. She guiltily asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to escape?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head in depression. ¡°Imperial grandmother, grandson thought about escaping, but that hallucinogen was too strong. Grandson felt weak all over. Also, thatndlord had two manservants watching grandson. Grandson was afraid to escape.¡±

    ¡°Then what happened?¡± The Empress Dowager was frightened and couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°Later, grandson could only use the beauty trap and knock out thatndlord.¡± Shangguan LingRan acted disgusted as he cursed, ¡°Bah...... that darned pervert! He dared to drug this Ye and fantasize about me....... Ah, fortunately, this Ye also carries knockout drugs. Otherwise, this Ye would be dead.¡±

    ¡°Someonee......¡± The Empress Dowager was very angry. She shouted for her attendants, intending to chop up that fictitious Shanxindlord.

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan quickly covered the Empress Dowager¡¯s mouth. He whispered, ¡°What do you want to do, imperial grandmother?¡±

    The Empress Dowager was angry and scolded, ¡°He dares to insult the imperial family. He doesn¡¯t know the meaning of death. Aijia will send someone to kill him, to take revenge for my good grandson.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked around in panic. He repeatedly waved his hands. ¡°Imperial grandmother, this is already embarrassing enough. Let¡¯s not make it public knowledge and quietly take care of it.¡±

    Looking at his expression, the Empress Dowager sensed something abnormal. She was about to question him, but Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes moved and he smiled bitterly. He almost pled, ¡°Forget it, imperial grandmother. Let¡¯s not talk about this again, okay? Grandson is injured and wants to rest.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan actually jumped onto the couch and closed his eyes. That tired, sad, and lonely expression on his face had the Empress Dowager in tears.

    At this time, she was 100% certain that Shangguan LingRan once again experienced an attempted assassination and escaped from the clutches of death to return to her side.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s return took the Emperor by surprise. He was almost certain that the person who helped Mu Zi You take care of the assassins that day on Yunwu Mountain was Shangguan LingRan.

    But he did not understand if it was Shangguan LingRan helping Mu Zi You and he injured, why didn¡¯t he immediately return to the Pce? However, if he was injured and recuperating in the General¡¯s Manor, then how did he sneak out from there?

    And every time the imperial doctor returned, he said there was only one injured person in the General¡¯s Manor. Although he was not allowed to treat the injury, he said she was certainly a female based on her appearance.

    This wasn¡¯t difficult to understand. Mu Zi You was a blue-blooded noble xiaojie. She naturally wouldn¡¯t let a male imperial doctor treat her injuries. Her wounds must have been treated by the female healers.

    Besides, so many people were watching the General¡¯s Manor and were consistent with their reports. ¡°There is no trace of Shangguan LingRan. No suspicious person has been seen leaving the General¡¯s Manor.¡±

    So where did Shangguan LingRane from? The Emperor could not understand.

    After Taizi found out that Shangguan LingRan returned, his face too turned gloomy.

    He also had a bad feeling. Shangguan LingRan was tied to the General¡¯s Manor. And Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s attempted assassination gave them the opportunity.

    Taizi deeply furrowed his forehead. He and his father had the same idea. They were both afraid that Shangguan LingRan would take his future throne from him.

    The secret in the imperial family had been hidden from the public, but one day it would be exposed. At that time, popr sentiment would certainly fall onto the side of the Sirius star.

    After all, it was difficult to go against the wishes of the heavens. If you do, people would certainly not stand on your side.

    If Shangguan LingRan was really the manifestation of the Sirius star, that was the will of the heavens. In addition, his Fuwang [An Wang] held military power. If he also married a first-rank great general¡¯s Di granddaughter as his Zhengfei [main consort], then 2/3 of Great Yan¡¯s military power would be in the hands of an outsider. Wouldn¡¯t it be child¡¯s y to rebel and seize the throne then?

    No. Taizi could not sit and wait for death. Currently, the most important thing to do was to take Old General Mu¡¯s military power for himself. Therefore, he must marry Mu Zi You.

    Thinking of this, Taizi shouted, ¡°Someone,e. Prepare gifts. This Taizi wants to visit Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    He turned to leave, but encountered Shangguan Lingluoing in.

    Seeing him leaving, she asked, puzzled, ¡°Taizi gege, where are you going?¡±

    He hurriedly pushed her away and replied, ¡°Shangguan LingRan returned. I suspect that he¡¯s the one who rescued Mu Zi You. I¡¯m going to the General¡¯s Manor to see what news I can get from Old General Mu.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo loudly berated, ¡°Why are you making excuses? I know that you like that lowly cheap wench. If you want to go, then go. Why lie about Shangguan LingRan saving that cheap wench? Shangguan LingRan can¡¯t even kill a chicken. How can he cope against the thirty-odd first-rate killers I sent?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Taizi was clearly furious. His voice lost his previous gentleness. ¡°It¡¯s your fault. Didn¡¯t I tell you to not do anything to Mu Zi You? But you didn¡¯t listen. And now what? You gave them a chance to collude together.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo rebutted, unwilling to ept it, ¡°Why are you so sure that Shangguan LingRan and that cheap wench are colluding together?¡±

    Taizi shook his head and regretted that he and this stupid woman were tangled. His tone was even more impatient. ¡°I sent people, Fuwang sent people, and the other wangzis sent people. They almost dug three feet underground in the capital and its surrounding areas and still cannot find Shangguan LingRan. Now he suddenly came back when no one had discovered his whereabouts. Besides that, when Mu Zi You was injured, everyone went to visit her, except for An Wangfei. Even you said that An Wangfei really likes her. How can An Wangfei not visit her when Mu Zi You is seriously injured? That just clearly proves that they were avoiding suspicion. If they had nothing to worry about, what are they afraid of?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Shangguan Lingluo was unwilling to ept it. ¡°Even if they collude, what can you do?¡±

    Taizi looked straight at Shangguan Lingluo and decisively said, ¡°I will marry her as cefei. No one can stop me.¡±

    He walked with big strides outside and no longer paid attention to Shangguan Lingluo.

    ¡°No!¡± Shangguan Lingluo dashed over. She grabbed his waist and cried heartrendingly, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to marry her. I don¡¯t care about other women, but she cannot. I hate her.¡±

    Taizi decisively shook off her hands. He said coldly as he left, ¡°When did this Taizi need you to care about this Taizi¡¯s matters? If there¡¯s nothing in the future, stay in your own pce. Don¡¯te to Taizi fu.¡±

    The blood in Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s face disappeared. Her long nails pierced into her palms and drew blood. Her face was sinister as she said, ¡°Mu Zi You, you and I are irreconcble. If you don¡¯t die, then I will perish.¡±

    Taizi had never treated her so ruthlessly in all these years. This was the first time he tore all pretenses of cordiality with her for another woman. In addition, Zi You made her lose face in front of so many people before. Shangguan Lingluo already hated Mu Zi You more than Taizifei.

    But she had already lost thirty-two death warriors out of the fifty she raised. If the remaining eighteen died, she would be defenseless.

    In the predatory imperial family, without a mother consort¡¯s protection, her own forces, and Taizi¡¯s doting, she would be swallowed by others at any time.

    Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s face was pale. She was like a trapped animal, pacing to and fro in the spacious hall. Finally, she smiled malevolently and left.

    Three dayster was the day that Old General Mu and Zi You were going to do closed-door training with the female medical team and family troops on the mountain.

    However, they did not go. The reason was because Taizi, Third Wangzi, and An Wang Shizi each requested the Emperor to marry Mu Zi You.

    The Emperor did not want to marry Zi You to his sons or nephew. He wanted to bring Zi You into the Pce and make her a consort.

    Regardless of Old General¡¯s Mu military power, Zi You¡¯s talents and appearance had moved the middle-aged Emperor.

    But he could not express his thoughts out loud. Thus, he called Old General Mu into the Pce. His face was smiling, but his eyes were darkly sinister. ¡°Beloved official, Zhen is really in a difficult spot. Zhen¡¯s Taizi, Third Wangzi, and nephew all want to marry Mu Xiaojie. Taizi and Third Wangzi want to marry Mu Xiaojie as first cefei and An Wang Shizi wants to marry Mu Xiaojie as Zhengfei. Beloved official, Zhen is torn and don¡¯t know who to marry Mu Xiaojie to. What do you think?¡±

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t lift his head, but could already feel the Emperor¡¯s cold and sinister eyes.

    He was extremely certain that whomever he picked today was the equivalent of telling the Emperor whom he was supporting in the future.

    The choice for his grandson-inw was the equivalent to choosing sides.

    And at this time, the Emperor simply wanted to control his imperial power and not give it to anyone.

    The Emperor was in the prime of his life. He had never thought about handing the throne over early. So how could he allow his sons, nephew, brother, or whomever to be more powerful than him and outside his control?

    Old General Mu thought of this and quickly knelt down. He feigned panic as he said, ¡°Emperor must never marry Chen¡¯s granddaughter to Taizi Ye, Third Wangzi, and Shizi Ye! You¡¯er is not worthy of marrying Emperor¡¯s sons and nephew. Even if she is worthy, Chen doesn¡¯t want You¡¯er to marry into the imperial family. You¡¯er had said that she is only willing to marry a man who will have her as his only wife. If a man wants to marry her, he must give up his concubines and give her full control of managing the house. Otherwise, she would rather not marry and go to the temple to be a nun. Emperor, please take into ount that You¡¯er had lost her mother at a young age and not marry her to anyone in the imperial family!¡±

    After the Emperor got over his shock, he released a sigh of relief. This way, Mu Zi You didn¡¯t have to think about getting married.

    Let¡¯s not speak of the imperial family, even normal official families wouldn¡¯t allow their children and grandchildren to only have one main wife and no concubines.

    Regarding making Mu Zi You a consort in the Pce, he would certainly need to expend some effort. But she was just a young little yatou. As long as he used a soft and hard approach and slowly schemed, would he be afraid that she wouldn¡¯t submit?

    The Emperor released a sigh of relief and his smile reached his eyes. His tone was also a lot more amiable. ¡°Rest assured, beloved official. Zhen will fulfill Mu Xiaojie¡¯s wish. Zhen will not bestow a marriage for her and wait for her to change her mind.¡±

    Old General Mu released a sigh of relief and left the Pce. He thought that things would end for now, but didn¡¯t expect that the troubles weren¡¯t over.

    Taizi and Third Wangzi had people bring gifts over almost every day to the General¡¯s Manor.

    At the same time, rumors circted among the high society in the capital. ¡°Old General Mu¡¯s Di granddaughter is tangled with Taizi and Third Wangzi. Even that dandy An Wang Shizi likes her. She¡¯s really a fickle woman.¡±

    ¡°Such a young age and she has such ability. Taizi and Third Wangzi are dragons among men. Although An Wang Shizi is a dandy, he is Great Yan¡¯s handsomest man. This Mu Xiaojie is really not simple. She can actually make three excellent men in Great Yan like her. Have you heard? All of them asked the Emperor to bestow a marriage.¡±

    Old General Mu heard these rumors and was so angry that he chopped a leg off of his desk in the study.

    Only Zi You coldly smiled and didn¡¯t pay attention to the rumors.

    She had only wanted to avenge her previous life¡¯s hatred. Now, it seemed like more problems appeared.

    She died early in her previous life. Taizi and Third Wangzi were fighting fiercely then, but the winner was not decided.

    Also, she was obscure and mediocre in her previous life, so she did not attract their attention.

    Her g father seemed to have been part of Taizi¡¯s camp then. She found out when she visited her maiden family and her angry grandfather scolded her g father.

    Now, were these people doing such things for her grandfather¡¯s military power or another reason?

    There was also Shangguan LingRan. Could she trust him? The answer was clearly no.

    She could not easily trust anyone again, especially a man.

    Because she was careless in her previous life, the price she paid was too high. In this lifetime, I want others to be crazy for me, while I remain sober.

    Zi You decided. She approached her ck mandara flowers. She withdrew a silver needle and pricked her finger. She dripped her blood onto the heart of the flower. Then she silently chanted.

    A momentter, the ck mandara flowers mysteriously rose up and shook themselves at her.

    Zi Youughed. Soon, she could psychicallymunicate with her nts and animals. They would be her sharpest weapons and most loyalrades.

    What man? What marriage? They could all go to hell. Protecting her loved ones and living free from harm and a good and happy life were the most important.

    Zi You made up her mind. She lightly smiled and went towards her grandfather¡¯s study.

    She looked at the broken table and suddenly rushed into her grandfather¡¯s arms. She smiled cutely, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Who made my precious grandfather angry?¡±

    Old General Mu was afraid that his granddaughter would be angry, so he didn¡¯t dare to speak the truth. Thus, he smiled unnaturally. ¡°Who dares to provoke your grandfather? My hand just itched. My hand itched.¡±

    Grandfather was a soldier. If he said one, then he didn¡¯t mean two. He would never lie. Now, for her......

    A fervent heat rose in Zi You¡¯s heart. Her determination was firmer.

    She wrapped her arms around her grandfather¡¯s neck and sweetly smiled. ¡°Your face is red, your eyes are evasive, and your words have no energy. You¡¯re lying. You can¡¯t hide it from You¡¯er.¡±

    She then emerged from her grandfather¡¯s hug and brewed a pot of Dahongpao tea. She handed it to him and seriously said, ¡°Grandfather, You¡¯er is your granddaughter. If You¡¯er can¡¯t even handle such a setback, would You¡¯er be worthy of being your granddaughter? Rumors will go on until they reach a wise person. Tongues grow in other people¡¯s mouths. They say whatever they want to say. Granddaughter doesn¡¯t care about those false reputations. When granddaughter doesn¡¯t marry those men, the truth will be revealed.¡±

    Old General Mu was relieved hearing his granddaughter¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t expect that his granddaughter was so open-minded.

    But this matter would damage his granddaughter¡¯s reputation. For the Old General Mu who loved his granddaughter more than his life, how could he let it go?

    Old General Mu angrily said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Taizi and Third Wangzi are such shameless viins. And Shizi Ye. You saved his life in vain. He¡¯s actuallycking a sense of justice and follows their chaotic actions. He¡¯s a real scoundrel!¡±

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114</h4>

    Zi You lightly smiled and stroked her grandfather¡¯s chest soothingly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, grandfather. We saved his life, but he saved my life too. We¡¯re even now. If we meet in the future, neither one owes the other. Isn¡¯t that pretty good? It¡¯s better not to owe a debt of gratitude. You don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s good if granddaughter¡¯s reputation is ruined and can¡¯t get married. You¡¯er can follow you and uncle to the battlefield and protect you. When You¡¯er¡¯s cousins join the Mu army, You¡¯er can also protect them. Grandfather, nothing is more important than all of you.¡±

    Old General Mu looked at his more and more sensible granddaughter and loved her more and more.

    He thought, ¡®Dier only left Zi You behind. No matter what, she has to be happy. How can she sacrifice her whole life for the Mu family?¡¯

    Old General Mu was racking his brain. Zi You looked at this frowning forehead and knew that he didn¡¯t hear what she said.

    Thus, she smiled as she said, ¡°Grandfather, there¡¯s actually a way to stop everyone¡¯s gossip. As long as You¡¯er gets engaged to someone else, it¡¯s certain that not long after that, no one will gossip.¡±

    Old General Mu immediately shook his head in disapproval. ¡°Where can we find a suitable family and man in a hurry? Is my, Mu Junyuan¡¯s, granddaughter someone an average person is worthy of?¡±

    Zi You faintly smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t really marry him. I¡¯ll just be using him to block everyone¡¯s mouths. Grandfather, didn¡¯t Duke Yongnan fu have the intentions to set an engagement? You¡¯er feels that they¡¯re not a bad choice.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Old General Mu objected without demur. ¡°Duke Yongnan is okay, but his son and furen are too unreliable. That rascal Zhao HongXiang is a lustful lecher. And now his leg is wasted. The doctor said that even if he is cured, he will beme. Duke Yongan is looking everywhere for a marriage partner for him because he¡¯s afraid that after his son besme, no one will want to marry him.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s gaze was distant and she faintly said, ¡°It¡¯s because of this, that we¡¯re choosing their fu. Zhao HongXiang¡¯s leg is wasted, but we set an engagement with him at this time. He would certainly think that we¡¯re doing so because of my bad reputation. If he doesn¡¯t care about it, then it shows us that he¡¯s doing us a good turn. But if he does care about it, then he shouldn¡¯t me us for not taking into ount our friendship. After all, whether Shizi¡¯s leg would get better is a problem. We don¡¯t disdain him, but he disdains us. As for matters four or five yearster, who knows what will happen?

    ¡°If he gets better, we can discuss it then. If not? After four or five years, would granddaughter not obtain any meritorious achievements? As long as there are meritorious achievements, granddaughter will have a way to dissolve the engagement. At that time, You¡¯er will have grown up and shown You¡¯er¡¯s face around the army. It would be best to meet someone who would cherish and not disdain You¡¯er. If not, You¡¯er can spend life alone. What¡¯s the big deal? Besides, grandfather has to believe in your granddaughter¡¯s charm. A good man in the army would certainly like granddaughter.¡±

    At the end, Zi You¡¯s tone turned cheerful, mischievous, and coquettish. Old General Mu couldn¡¯t help butugh. His mood improved a lot.

    He felt that his granddaughter was right. Based on Zi You¡¯s talents and moral character, he didn¡¯t believe that no one would recognize a pearl. At that time, it would be good if he could find amongst his subordinates a young general and entrust Zi You to him.

    The soldiers in the army were mostly from poor and humble origins and not prominent families. They definitely wouldn¡¯t care about this ridiculous gossip.

    Old General Mu slightly nodded. He suddenly asked, puzzled, ¡°There are plenty of good men in the army now, so grandfather can set an engagement for you. Why do you have to go around in a circle and have to be engaged to Zhao HongXiang, that b*stard?¡±

    Zi You was a bit embarrassed and said bashfully, ¡°Grandfather, how old is You¡¯er? Granddaughter wants to get engaged to Zhao HongXiang to quell the gossip and use him to block the wangzis. It¡¯s not because granddaughter actually likes him. But you¡¯ve said it. The Mu army is filled with good men. Granddaughter naturally doesn¡¯t want to take advantage of them. We have to find a...... Aiya! Grandfather, You¡¯er is still young. Let¡¯s talk about this some other time. Grandfather, do as You¡¯er says. You¡¯er will think of a solution in the future.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Grandfather won¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯ll do what You¡¯er says.¡±

    Old General Mu looked at his granddaughter getting shy and smiled lovingly.

    He thought that she was correct. She was only twelve years old. They still had a year or two to think about marriage.

    If it wasn¡¯t for these rumors, how could he give that little beast Zhao HongXiang a cheap advantage? He wasn¡¯t even worthy of having his name be tied to You¡¯er¡¯s.

    Old General Mu thought and immediately said to Zi You, ¡°This is good too. When we go train in the mountains, you would inevitablye into contact with soldiers. It would be good if you get engaged then. Grandfather will make it clear to Duke Yongnan. He is rather reasonable and easier to talk to than the other officials.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zi You immediately objected. ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t take the initiative to find them. You¡¯er has a way to make them take the initiative to find us.¡±

    Old General Mu grew up in the military his whole life. His intelligence was used on the battlefield. For a situation like this, he really didn¡¯t have many ideas.

    Looking at his tricky granddaughter, he felt that she really did grow up. It was as if she knew everything. She was so clever and witty that people looked at her in awe.

    Old General Mu was very gratified, but with it came worry. ¡°Sweetheart, you wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish, right? That kid is hateful, but we don¡¯t have any deep animosity with him. Is it good that we¡¯re doing this?¡±

    No deep animosity? After hearing her grandfather¡¯s words, Zi You¡¯s body stiffened. Her heart pained and she almost started swearing.

    She endured and endured for a very long time before she could smile innocently and naively at Old General Mu. ¡°What were you thinking, grandfather? You¡¯er feels that it¡¯s better for girls to be more reserved. If we show up, Duke Yongnan would feel that there¡¯s something going on with You¡¯er and the imperial family. Besides, what¡¯s wrong with it? You¡¯er said that things depend on Shizi. If he changes his habits, he¡¯s considered a good man. If so, then You¡¯er will go through with the marriage.¡±

    Old General Mu thought for two seconds and nodded in agreement with a smile. ¡°You are my good granddaughter. Your words make sense. We¡¯ll do it like this then.¡±

    Old General Mu quickly agreed and asked about Zi You¡¯s martial arts progress.

    Zi You answered his questions one by one. Then she left Old General Mu¡¯s study and returned to Hundred Herb Garden.

    Once there, Zi You¡¯s smile immediately disappeared, leaving behind a sinister coldness.

    You dare to scheme about me? Fine. Whether it¡¯s the previous life¡¯s enemy or this life¡¯s b*stards, I¡¯ll take care of all you together.

    But what about Shangguan LingRan? What did he mean? Was he trying to stop the Emperor from bestowing a marriage or was he trying to test the Emperor¡¯s bottom line? Or did he really like her?

    Zi You touched her petal-like lips and coldly smiled. Whoever you are, the door to my heart will not open for any man in this lifetime.

    As if he knew that Zi You was thinking about him, Shangguan LingRan came over, as she was practicing in Hundred Herb Garden.

    But Shangguan LingRan did not know that after Miao shaman Darong Ka¡¯s visit, Zi You had set up an array around Hundred Herb Garden. He went in and almost couldn¡¯t get out. He expended a lot of effort to solve the Nine Cyclical Array. He arrived ten meters away from Hundred Herb Garden in a sorry state.

    But he did not expect that he would encounter Weishali¡¯s two spirit cobras and a dozen mice. They bared their teeth at him, blocked his path, and wouldn¡¯t let him flip over the wall.

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t know that in India, a lot of animals such as snakes, monkeys, and oxen were worshipped as gods.

    After they were domesticated by someone with spiritual power, it was the equivalent of being able to psychicallymunicate with their master and bing a spiritual being.

    However, he knew that there were animals that could take on human forms through cultivation in lots of mountains, forests, and sparsely popted areas in Great Yan.

    But knowing about it was one thing. He had not yet seen it.

    He witnessed Weishali¡¯s abilitiesst time. Now, he looked at the two cobras and mice and he finally knew that Zi You was not an average yatou. At the very least, she was practicing a special form of martial arts.

    This knowledge made him even happier. He felt that only such a yatou could match him.

    However, that little yatou didn¡¯t seem to be very interested in him. She had an ice-cold and unapproachable appearance.

    He was anxious. He was really anxious because the things that Taizi and Third Wangzi did already gave the yatou a negative impression.

    He was afraid that the little yatou couldn¡¯t handle it and would be sad.

    He wanted toe over a few days ago, but he knew that he couldn¡¯te.

    That was because Taizi, Third Wangzi, and even the Emperor had people watching General¡¯s Manor.

    Although he had recovered from his injuries, his martial arts had not returned to the state before his injuries.

    If he really fought, he was afraid he couldn¡¯t cope with those ¡°specters.¡± Then he would have startled the snakes and bring harm to You¡¯er and even the whole General¡¯s Manor.

    So, he waited anxiously and desperately tried ways to recover his martial arts. He finally felt his martial arts recover to 70%-80% today. He couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and ran over here.

    For this, his subordinate blocked his path and was kicked by him.

    Speaking of which, Shangguan LingRan looked happy-go-lucky and devilishly charming on the outside. In fact, he was cold down to his bones. He could even be said to be sinister and ruthless.

    A woman once touched his arm. He simply cut off the hand that the woman touched his arm with.

    He never knew how to have tender, protective feelings for the opposite sex. The one who had tender, protective feelings for the opposite sex was his substitute.

    For him, to be disguised as his substitute, was simply miserable.

    He secretly made up his mind that once he had enough power and strength and didn¡¯t have to put anyone in his eyes, he would make the people who have harmed him, despised him, and ridiculed him regret it.

    Shangguan LingRan was actually a vengeful man and sinister and ruthless in the way he did things. What Zi You currently saw was not the real him......

 Chapter 115 A Clever Plan and Getting Engaged to the Slag Man [1]

    <h4>Chapter 115 A Clever n and Getting Engaged to the g Man [1]</h4>

    However, his feelings and affection for Zi You were not fake, but real.

    He never thought that he would be emotionally moved for a female one day. That day at the market when he first saw Zi You, she was holding a dough figure in her hands. That pair of amethyst-like clear and deep eyes was slightly warm and haughty. Her figure was arrogant, slender, tall, and elegant. Her back was like a lonely lotus in the rain. She attracted his attention then.

    So, for the first time, he went to tease her as himself and not his substitute.

    Sure enough, Zi You¡¯s reaction was different from other girls when they see him.

    She didn¡¯t turn into a love-struck fool because he was handsome. She also did not be timid because he stole her dough figure. Her coldness beckoned him to get closer to her.

    She finally fought back after he called her ugly.

    But the thing that he thought was strange was that the little yatou did not use her full strength to attack him. It let him see that the little yatou had a very kind heart behind her cold face.

    Who knew that this thought didn¡¯t exist for long before the scene of her punishing Zhao HongXiang shattered it?

    He could not understand why she let a stranger who insulted her off, but was so ruthless to an acquainted son of her grandfather¡¯s friend.

    Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Shangguan LingRan admitted that he was very curious.

    He felt that the little yatou was like a profound book that was waiting for him to solve its secrets.

    She really did not disappoint. Every time he saw her, the little yatou made him shocked and stunned.

    Until he unconsciously fell for her.

    Shangguan LingRan was not un-frustrated that he liked a young underage yatou.

    However, feelings weren¡¯t something that you can control. The more he did not want to think about Zi You, the more an elegant, refined, cold, bashful, angry, desperate, and all sorts of Zi Yous appeared in his mind.

    His ears still rang with her pearl-likeughter so that he couldn¡¯t even rx in his sleep. His body felt like it was floating in the clouds. The ce below that her small hand touched seemed to always rear its head.

    It tormented him until he could not practice his internal energy. When he practiced with his sword during the night, he almost ruptured his wounds.

    It tormented him so that once his martial arts had recovered a little bit, he ran over to find her.

    If his martial arts werepletely recovered, he didn¡¯t need to fear such small animals right now.

    But right now, he could not bepletely sure that he could beat them. Moreover, he did not want to hurt the spirit pets of the woman he liked.

    Thus, Shangguan LingRan immediately transmitted a secret message to Zi You through sound. He shouted to her, ¡°Wife, you can¡¯t wee your future husband like this! You¡¯ll be widowed if you kill off this Ye. Don¡¯t forget. We¡¯ve already done that.¡±

    ¡°Shangguan LingRan, you scoundrel!¡± Zi You angrily scolded, ¡°If you dare to speak nonsense again, see if I won¡¯t let Weishali bite you to death!¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to exin things clearly if I¡¯m bitten to death.¡± Shangguan LingRan continued to dawdle with Zi You. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Wang Yiping and her brother were bitten by Weishali. It¡¯s a small matter if Ye is bitten to death, but a big matter if you¡¯re suspected. Ye can¡¯t bear it if his wife will be bullied.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s evil voice made Zi You livid.

    Even she did not notice that the always calm her would break character and get angry whenever she countered Shangguan LingRan.

    Zi You knew that if she didn¡¯t go outside, Shangguan LingRan would not leave. Thus, she put on a veil and used qinggong to arrive in front of Hundred Herb Garden.

    She said very impatiently, ¡°You saved my life and I saved your life. We don¡¯t owe each other anything. Why are you here?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t answer her question, but advised, ¡°Wife, are you sure you want your husband to answer your question here? Your husband doesn¡¯t mind, but your husband is afraid that it would bring you trouble if grandfather and uncle see......¡±

    ¡°Weishali, let him in.¡± Zi You took a deep breath and suppressed the burning fiery rage in her heart.

    Shangguan LingRan saw the poisonous snakes and mice leave in a sh. He walked in front of Zi You into Hundred Herb Garden, while saying, ¡°This is right, wife. To see you, Ye had to lose several ¡°specters.¡± Think about it. For you, Ye ran over here as soon as Ye¡¯s martial arts recovered and had to battle three or four specters. Aren¡¯t you distressed?¡±

    ¡°Distressed your head!¡± Zi You was angry and couldn¡¯t take it anymore so she scolded. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your despicable and shameless imperial family, why would specters appear in our General¡¯s Manor?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan seriously rebutted, ¡°Wife, your words are wrong. Your General¡¯s Manor may not have specters, but you have ghosts. Otherwise, Shangguan Lingluo wouldn¡¯t have known that you went to the mountain to y. Your General¡¯s Manor has ghosts that secretly let her know.¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± Zi You coldly sneered. ¡°How do I know that you¡¯re telling me the truth? I have to believe you if you say that it was Shangguan Lingluo? Who knows if it¡¯s a trick of yours?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words finished and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face sunk. He looked coldly at Zi You. ¡°Are you deliberately trying to anger me? Or do you really think that I¡¯m lying to you?¡±

    Zi You saw a trace of hurt in his eyes and hesitated. But she thought about her previous life¡¯s suffering and immediately hardened her heart. She woodenly replied, ¡°Of course I really doubt you. How many of you men are actually sincere to women? Especially the men in the imperial family, like you. None of you are good people.¡±

    ¡°You actuallypare me to Shangguan Pengxuan [Taizi] and Shangguan Boyu [Third Wangzi]?¡± Shangguan LingRan was apparently hurt by Zi You¡¯s words.

    He looked painfully at her to see if she was lying. But, unfortunately, Zi You had always been standing coldly to one side and looking distrustfully at him.

    Shangguan LingRan bitterly and self-deprecatingly said, ¡°Fine. You¡¯re ruthless, Mu Zi You. This is the first time I try so desperately for a woman only to be trampled on by you. You¡¯re a cold-blooded animal just like your poisonous snake!¡±

    He coughed and his body shed and disappeared.

    He left Zi You behind standing there. Her heart inexplicably hurt and tears surged. She said to herself, ¡°If I¡¯m not cold-blooded, I will be swallowed by others.¡±

    Zi You thought of her past life¡¯s hatred and gradually calmed down.

    She took out a pouch that contained two of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s hairs that she secretly got from Duke Yongnan fust time. She burned the hairs into ashes and put them into a box with a gu [legendary venomous insect] in it. She dripped her blood into the box and generated her spiritual power to move the gu.

    She just learned this ancient Indian gu magic from the books her mother left behind.

    She wanted to give it a try to see if it works. If it worked, Zhao HongXiang would dream about her and beg his father to ask for marriage. If it didn¡¯t work, then she would find another way.

    Later on that night, Zhao HongXiang was tortured unbearably by the pain in his leg. He even wanted to die.

    Zhao HongXiang drank pain-killing medicine and fell asleep with difficulty. He dreamed of Zi You very affectionately giving him a pill. ¡°Xiang gege, eat this. If you eat this, you won¡¯t be in pain anymore.¡±

    Zhao HongXiang put the pill in his mouth and swallowed. As Zi You said, his pain was gone a short timeter. He was in seventh heaven. He felt morefortable than when he was doing that sort of thing.

    Zhao HongXiang suffered for so many days. He felt that he was the mostfortable today.

    He would exchange everything to feel as if he reached the heavens.

    Unfortunately, this was only a dream. Only, the things in the dream actually felt like they just happened.

    But when he woke up, he didn¡¯t see Zi You or that pill and his never-ending painful torment was even stronger than before.

    Zhao HongXiang went mad! He hoarsely shouted, ¡°Ask my father toe over here. Hurry!¡±

    Duke Yongnan listened to the maidservant tell him, ¡°Duke, hurry up and take a look. Shizi Ye asks you to go over. He looks very anxious, like he can¡¯t wait another moment.¡±

    Duke Yongnan immediately rushed towards his son¡¯s courtyard.

    When he got there, he saw Zhao HongXiang clutching his leg and shouting heartrendingly, ¡°Father, son wants to marry You¡¯er. As long as son marries her, son¡¯s illness will be cured. Hurry and go propose marriage. Otherwise, son will die for you to see.¡±

    Then he crazily went to hit his head against the bedpost.

    Duke Yongnan was distressed. He held his son and nodded. ¡°Xiang¡¯er, father will go now. Bear with it, okay?¡±

    However, he hadn¡¯t left before Nee Chen came over to say, ¡°Laoye, Mu Zi You¡¯s reputation is not good right now. I heard that Taizi Ye, Third Wangzi, and An Wang Shizi Ye are three men fighting over one woman. What is this? She¡¯s a source of cmity. She will bring cmity to Duke Yongnan fu!¡±

    Duke Yongnan angrily pushed her away. He viciously said, ¡°Your son is about to lose his life, but you¡¯re still worrying about what Duke Yongnan fu will look like in the future? He¡¯s like this, yet you¡¯re still making a mountain out a molehill? Besides, is Ye not clearer than you on Old General Mu¡¯s character? Scram for this Ye! You are not the person in charge in this fu!¡±

    He rushed out, jumped into a horse carriage, and went towards the General¡¯s Manor.

    He didn¡¯t have time to worry about etiquette and hand an invitation card over. He directly had someone report that, ¡°This Duke is here to see Old General Mu. Please announce it for this Duke.¡±

    The guards saw Duke Yongnan and knew that his rtionship with Old General Mu was good, so they went to announce his arrival.

    Old General Mu was first startled hearing that Duke Yongnan came. Then he said, ¡°Invite the Duke to the drawing room. I¡¯ll be there immediately.¡±

    How could Duke Yongnan sit still while waiting in the drawing room? He paced to and fro like a trotting horsentern, making the maidservant serving tea and the managing steward frown.

    Old General Mu arrived at the drawing room ten minutester.

    Who knew that as soon as he walked inside, Duke Yongnan knelt down with a ¡°bang?¡± He tearfully said, ¡°Old General, save my son! He is dead-set on marrying your granddaughter and can¡¯t rest or recuperate!¡±

 Chapter 116 A Clever Plan and Getting Engaged to the Slag Man [2]

    <h4>Chapter 116 A Clever n and Getting Engaged to the g Man [2]</h4>

    Duke Yongnan¡¯s tears flowed down. ¡°He was already ill. If his wish isn¡¯t fulfilled, I¡¯m afraid...... Old General, please pity me. I only have this one Di son. What am I going to do if something happens to him?¡±

    Old General Mu looked meaningfully at his guards. The guards rushed to the front of Duke Yongnan like lightning. They picked up the Duke Yongnan who didn¡¯t know martial arts and carried him like a small chicken to sit him down on a chair.

    At this point, Old General Mu was very shocked at his granddaughter¡¯s ability.

    That was because his granddaughter told him this morning, ¡°Grandfather, Duke Yongnan mighte here to propose marriage for his son today. Tell him this......¡±

    His granddaughter whispered in his ears. Old General Mu was shocked and he wanted to refuse. But once he saw Zi You¡¯s clever and confident expression, he nodded and unconsciously believed her.

    At that time, he felt that his granddaughter was just like Dier. Regardless of temperament and charm, Zi You had the wisdom, calmness, and confidence just like when Dier was in Nanjiang and facing all sorts of difficulties.

    His granddaughter¡¯s prediction was urate. Duke Yongnan really came on behalf of his son.

    Thinking of what his granddaughter said, Old General Mu¡¯s face sunk and he feigned sympathy as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Duke. Say it slowly. What is going on? How did Shizi¡¯s illness worsen to this state in such a short period of time?¡±

    Duke Yongnan wiped off his tears and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know where the problem is with my son¡¯s leg or what¡¯s going on. Many imperial doctors said that it is poisonous gangrene, but no matter how they treat it, it doesn¡¯t get better. My son is suffering from pain and high fever. In addition to missing Old General¡¯s granddaughter, he woke up this morning in a mad state...... Old General, I know that with Xiang¡¯er [Zhao HongXiang] in this current condition, I should not be here begging for an engagement. But my son is facing life and death! I can only thicken my face toe beg you! Call me a b*stard or selfish; I have noints. I just want to beg you to let You¡¯er visit Xiang¡¯er and tell him that You¡¯er and he are engaged. That way my son can rest and recuperate. Rest assured that we won¡¯t tell this matter to anyone. To be honest, with my son¡¯s current condition, he is not worthy of your granddaughter.¡±

    Huh! Old General Mu was immediately ck belly. He thought, ¡®Your son is not worthy of my granddaughter in the first ce. Once he looks at females, he turns lustful. If it¡¯s not to block those three lecherous wolves from the imperial family, I wouldn¡¯t agree to You¡¯er¡¯s n.¡¯

    Old General Mu was not someone who knew how to act. Once he thought of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s lecherousness, his face immediately sunk. He said in displeasure, ¡°Duke Yongnan, to be honest, even if your son isn¡¯t sick, I still don¡¯t want to engage You¡¯er to him. I hate lustful people the most. Did you know that? But your son actually is like that. Such a young age and he doesn¡¯t know propriety.¡±

    ¡°Old General misunderstood.¡± Duke Yongnan face turned red. He rushed to exin, ¡°We asked Xiang¡¯er aboutst time¡¯s matters. He said that he was feverish and dazed. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but that girl pounced on him. This matter was probably that Yu Lanxuan¡¯s ploy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an excuse!¡± Old General Mu angrily mmed the table. ¡°Even if it was a ploy by that shameless little yatou, if your son stood firm, how could the ploy seed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Duke Yongnan was here to beg him, so he could only feign ignorance. ¡°Old General, I know that my son is not worthy of your granddaughter. I don¡¯t dare to ask that you really marry her to my son. I just need your help and pretend.¡±

    ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Old General¡¯s Mu anger was like a fire. He immediately pped the table and angrily said to Duke Yongnan, ¡°How can a big issue like marriage be made into a trifling matter? You¡¯re just thinking of your son¡¯s life and death. But have you thought for my You¡¯er? Once people find out, her reputation is ruined. She won¡¯t be able to marry anyone her whole life.¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Duke Yongnan waved his hand. ¡°I guarantee with my life that no one will find out about this. In the future, if Xiang¡¯er¡¯s leg gets better and you think that it¡¯s okay and agrees for You¡¯er to get married; our fu will definitely deliver 128 betrothal presents.¡±

    Old General Mu was angry again. ¡°You think I want your money? Am I someone who will betray my granddaughter for money? Although I am a poor and honest official, I don¡¯t need your silvers!¡±

    Duke Yongnan was so anxious that his forehead was filled with sweat. He had the feeling of a schr encountering a soldier. He was helpless that he couldn¡¯t rify himself.

    But he had to exin. He was here to beg him.

    Duke Yongnan quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead. He carefully exined, ¡°You misunderstood, Old General. Don¡¯t you know what kind of person I am? Moreover, I know what kind of person Old General is. It¡¯s because I understand you that I am willing to have You¡¯er as a daughter-inw. That¡¯s because I trust in your moral character. The children you taught wouldn¡¯t be bad! If it¡¯s not because of Xiang¡¯er¡¯s leg, I would sincerely want to marry You¡¯er as our Duke Yongnan fu¡¯s Shizi furen. But Xiang¡¯er is like this right now, so I¡¯m afraid it will affect You¡¯er. I had no choice but toe up with this idea.¡±

    Old General Mu finally rxed a little bit after hearing these words.

    He thought of the words that his granddaughter said and immediately eased his tone. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I know what kind of person you are, but your son...... How about this? You¡¯er is still young. There is still three years left before she reaches marriageable age. We can first establish an engagement between our two families. I can¡¯t have You¡¯er carelessly be called your daughter-inw. But you have to write a contract for me to make it clear that You¡¯er and your son are engaged because your son is seriously ill. This is thest resort to save your son. When your son is cured, my granddaughter will marry him if he can be wholeheartedly devoted to my granddaughter and has no concubines, tongfangs, and other women. If he cannot do this, we will dissolve the engagement. And you cannot take your betrothal gifts back. If your son is unhappy...... You cannot me my granddaughter. After all, your son is already like this. No matter what happens to him, it has nothing to do with You¡¯er. Thus, you will return the dowry back. Are you going to write it? If you write it, I will bring You¡¯er to see your son. You¡¯er is coincidentally studying medicine. She might even be able to cure your son¡¯s leg.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll write it!¡± Duke Yongnan pped his leg and shouted. ¡°How could I have forgotten this? Right, You¡¯er¡¯s mother had superb medical skills. You¡¯er can¡¯t be bad. Old General, bring the ink and paper over. I¡¯ll write the contract out immediately.¡±

    It worked? Old General Mu really did not think that it would work. After all, it was highly unlikely that a man would not have three wives and four concubines.

    When You¡¯er told him the n, he was worried that Duke Yongnan wouldn¡¯t agree. He didn¡¯t think that Duke Yongnan would actually agree. It seemed like he was really anxious to save his son!

    The contract was written, but still needed an impartial party to witness it. Old General Mu did not hesitate to invite Duke Anguo over.

    Duke Anguo was shocked once he heard that Zi You and Zhao HongXiang were getting engaged.

    But in front of Duke Yongnan, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He only looked meaningfully at Old General Mu.

    Old General Mu could only pretend to not see it. He vigorously urged, ¡°Hurry and sign it, Duke. Once you sign it, this old man can bring You¡¯er to treat his son¡¯s leg. Otherwise, if somethinges up, our Mu fu cannot bear the consequences.¡±

    Duke Anguo helplessly and quite iprehensibly signed his name as a witness.

    There were two copies of the contract. Naturally, Old General Mu and Duke Yongnan each had a copy. There were three signatures on it. In addition to the two parties of Old General Mu and Duke Yongnan, it was of the witness Duke Anguo¡¯s.

    Once the contract was signed, Old General Mu sent Duke Yongnan away. ¡°You return first. I¡¯ll speak with Duke Anguo. Then I will bring You¡¯er to your fu.¡±

    Duke Yongnan left with a trace of dissatisfaction. But he thought about it and felt relieved. No matter what, him doing this for his son was a bit un-conscientious and selfish.

    Duke Anguo saw that Duke Yongnan left and immediately asked Old General Mu, ¡°His son is so seriously ill right now. I heard that even if his leg is cured, he will beme in the future. Aren¡¯t you harming You¡¯er? I know that you have a good rtionship with him, but you can¡¯t ruin You¡¯er¡¯s life for friendship. My Xue¡¯er and her mother [Liu Ruixue and Duke Anguo furen] have always praised such a wonderful child.¡±

    ¡°Sigh......¡± Old General Mu sighed. ¡°You think I want to? Isn¡¯t this because there¡¯s no other way? Duke Yongnan ran to my fu early this morning and knelt in front of me. He cried until tears and snot were all over his face. He said that his son wouldn¡¯t marry anyone but You¡¯er. He¡¯s so seriously ill, but still remembers You¡¯er. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t live long, so he begged me to promise to marry You¡¯er to him for Chong Xi.*

    [¡°Warding-off¡± wedding for an ill man in hopes that a joyous asion would ward off imminent death.]

    Duke Anguo was furious. ¡°How can he be so selfish? For his son, he can disregard other people¡¯s happiness?¡±

    ¡°Thus,¡± Old General Mu angrily retorted, ¡°I was forced by him into having no other choice, but to agree to this ridiculous farce and make a contract. Also, it¡¯s to avoid Taizi Ye, Third Wangzi, and An Wang Shizi¡¯s entanglement with You¡¯er. I don¡¯t want to have any rtionship with the imperial family. Even You¡¯er said that she didn¡¯t want to wreck her and Xue jiejie¡¯s [Liu Ruixue] sisterhood. Two sisters serving one man? You¡¯er said that even if she died, she wouldn¡¯t do it.¡±

    Duke Anguo thought about the rumors in the city and nodded. He was filled with righteous indignation as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Duke Yongnan was selfish, but that he¡¯s also a viin taking advantage of the situation. But I also did not think that You¡¯er is so young, but has such a sense of loyalty. No wonder Xue¡¯er and her mother praise her for being sensible.¡±

    Old General Mu nodded, gratified. ¡°Yes. When she was injured by the assassinsst time, she was afraid that I will be distressed, so she didn¡¯t utter a sound. She¡¯s so sensible that she makes people distressed.¡±

    Duke Anguo nodded in agreement. ¡°I can tell that she¡¯s very strong and very brave. When she was in the throne room that day and said she wanted to form a female medical team and follow you onto the battlefield, I could tell that your Mu family¡¯s military blood runs in that child¡¯s veins.¡±

    ¡°Haha...... Yes, that child is really simr to me.¡± Old General Mu smiled happily when he heard Duke Anguo praise Zi You.

    After Duke Anguo left, Old General Mu went to find Zi You. She was already dressed, had her medicine chest ready, and was waiting for him.

    Old General Mu asked in surprise, ¡°You already know everything?¡±

 Chapter 117 Making You Suffer Terribly in Pain [1] Part 1/6

    <h4>Chapter 117 Making You Suffer Terribly in Pain [1] Part 1/6</h4>

    Zi You revealed a smile as elegant as lilies. Her pair of eyes was like amethysts as she confidently nodded. ¡°Everything is within your granddaughter¡¯s expectations. Grandfather, when we arrive at Duke Yongnan fu, think of a way to distract Duke Yongnan and his wife. I will act ording to the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Then you be careful.¡± Old General Mu was worried. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Zhao HongXiang won¡¯t have good intentions.¡±

    Zi You shook her head in disdain. ¡°You¡¯er isn¡¯t afraid of him when he wasn¡¯t ill. And now he¡¯s this ill? If he dares to be impudent, You¡¯er will turn him into a eunuch!¡±

    ¡°Ai!¡± Old General Mu chided lovingly. ¡°How can a guniang be so rough?¡±

    Zi You acted spoiled as she pulled on her grandfather¡¯s arm. Sheughed like silver bells ringing. ¡°Haha...... It¡¯s you...... You¡¯er naturally doesn¡¯t need to be scrupulous.¡±

    Old General Mu originally wanted to tell her to pay attention to her words and actions no matter the asion. But once he thought that since Dier left, he had rarely seen his granddaughterugh so cheerfully; how could he bear to reprimand her?

    Thus, he lovingly patted Zi You¡¯s head. His loving eyesnded on Zi You¡¯s slim figure. He couldn¡¯t help but be distressed and proud.

    He slightly sighed and worriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, You¡¯er. As long as grandfather is here, the responsibility to protect Mu fu will not fall onto your shoulders. If that Zhao HongXiang acts out, just take action. With grandfather here, no one will bully you.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Zi You¡¯s heart was warm.

    She thought about how her father, Mu YingRui, came to visit her only once when she was ¡°injured¡± with the excuse of it being inconvenient because he was injured. He brought Shui YouLian back before she even ¡°recovered.¡± His coldness was nothingpared to her grandfather¡¯s warmth.

    She was more determined to protect Mu fu, grandfather, and uncle now.

    She pounced into Old General Mu¡¯s arms and tightly hugged him. She said resoundingly and forcefully, ¡°Grandfather, I am your granddaughter. Your blood flows though my veins. I have responsibility to protect Mu fu and my loved ones. Don¡¯t worry. I said I will be strong. One day, I will be strong enough that I won¡¯t fear any enemy who wants to plot against or murder us.¡±

    She waspletely na?ve and ignorant in her previous life. She only knew that she had no worries under her grandfather and uncle¡¯s protection. She lived foolishly and finally ended up with the destruction of her family.

    In this lifetime, she would not allow herself to be so weak and na?ve. No matter who it was who wanted to harm her or her family, she would counterattack resolutely! She would make them pay a bloody price.

    Shangguan Lingluo, Taizi, Third Wangzi. I will let you be happy for a few days. Wait until my spiritual power and martial arts are stronger. I certainly will not let you off!

    Because she was angry, Zi You¡¯s eyes turned purple. No one saw her at this moment. Otherwise, one would certainly be shocked by her beauty.

    The world¡¯s most beautiful purple crystal or amethyst couldn¡¯t possiblypare to that pair of purple eyes.

    Zi You went with her grandfather to Duke Yongnan fu. Duke Yongnan was already impatient from waiting.

    He became overjoyed after seeing them. He excitedly said, ¡°You¡¯re here, Old General and You¡¯er. I am very grateful! If my son gets better, I will keep my promise and never renege!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not be long-winded. Let¡¯s take a look at your son¡¯s illness first.¡± Old General Mu¡¯s impression of him soured. So how could he still treat him politely?

    Zi You looked around when they arrived at Zhao HongXiang¡¯s room. Like in the past, the decorations were all luxurious treasures. Antique jades were on disy everywhere.

    It could be seen what Zhao HongXiang¡¯s position in Duke Yongnan¡¯s heart was.

    Zi You secretly sneered. She couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhao HongXiang. This one look made her feel very refreshed.

    She saw that the fake gongzi had been tortured by his illness until his face was pale white. He was thin and haggard.

    The room was filled with an unpleasant odor. Even top-quality incense could not make that smell disappear.

    Zi Youmented over Silver Light Rain¡¯s toxicity. Only a little, but it was enough to rot Zhao HongXiang¡¯s flesh. Even his muscles were rotting. Not even the imperial doctors could diagnose the problem.

    This rotten odor was so strong must be because the flesh in the hollow behind Zhao HongXiang¡¯s knee was rotting badly.

    Zi You put on a handmade face mask and deer leather gloves. She then said to Duke Yongnan and Old General Mu, ¡°Can grandfather and Duke please leave the room to avoid cross-contamination? It¡¯s enough to leave behind Qiyan and the two maidservants to help me.¡±

    The two maidservants called Chunhua and Qiuyue were two of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s four first-rank maidservants.

    Their clothes were almostparable to an ordinary household¡¯s xiaojie. They were wearing high-quality silks and satins.

    They had outstanding appearances and slim physiques. Their actions and words contained enchanting charm.

    Only, they looked in displeasure at Zi You. They secretly looked at her with eyes filled with hostility.

    Zi You¡¯s voice was like a yellow warbler leaving the valley. The groggy and dozing Zhao HongXiang was awoken by it.

    He didn¡¯t pay attention to the pain he was in. He turned towards the direction of the voice and weakly asked, ¡°You¡¯er, is it you? Did youe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Zi You replied. She walked to the front of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s bed and lightly helped him up. She indifferently said, ¡°I pay respects to Shizi. Duke came to the fu this morning and wants me to treat your illness. Please cooperate and stay still. Let me take your pulse and check your wound.¡±

    As she was talking, she was thinking ruthlessly to herself, ¡®Zhao HongXiang, I was gentle and virtuous in my previous life, but was abandoned by you like old shoes. In this lifetime, I will have you head over heels and infatuated by me. When you can¡¯t be without me anymore, I¡¯ll let you taste the pain and suffering of my previous life.¡¯

    Zhao HongXiang finally recovered some spirit. He excitedly said, ¡°Good, good. It¡¯s just that the wound on my leg has festered. The smell is really bad. You can¡¯t dislike me for it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Zi You¡¯s voice softened a little bit. She also deliberately went closer to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Focus on recuperating. You will definitely get better.¡±

    Zhao HongXiang looked into Zi You¡¯s clear eyes. They were like a deep well glittering with a clear light as if they wanted to suck his soul into them.

    Zhao HongXiang looked stupidly at her and ignored the weakness in his body and the pain in his leg. He couldn¡¯t help but reach out his dirty hand towards her peerless face.

    Zi You retreated with lightning speed. Her heart secretly hated him. This g male was already ill to this point, but was still lustful.

    Wait a little bit. If I don¡¯t have you screaming out in pain hovering between life and death, then I can¡¯t show off my ability.

    Thinking of this, Zi You coldly ordered Zhao HongXiang¡¯s maidservants. ¡°I¡¯ll first take your Shizi¡¯s pulse. Then I will examine and treat his leg. It might be very painful then. You must hold him down.¡±

    Zi You then said to Qiyan, ¡°Qiyan, prepare the medicine, knife, and scissors.¡±

    Qiyan immediately wrapped a silk scarf around Zhao HongXiang¡¯s wrist. She also brought a chair for Zi You to sit. Zi You looked mockingly at Zhao HongXiang¡¯s maidservants who looked at her with guarded eyes. She coldly snorted. ¡°You two are Shizi Ye¡¯s first-rank maidservants? You¡¯re not attentive at all. This Xiaojie is a guest. You don¡¯t serve me tea, but you don¡¯t even prepare a chair for this Xiaojie. No wonder you can¡¯t serve Shizi Ye well and let him fall ill to this state.¡±

    These two maidservants were having an affair with Zhao HongXiang. But he even called out ¡°You¡¯er¡± in his sleep. Of course, they held hostility towards Zi You.

    When Zi You came, they red at her with jealousy.

    When they saw Zhao HongXiang looking stupidly at her, they became even more jealous.

    Zi You deliberately said what she said. The reason was that in her previous life, Zhao HongXiang¡¯s maidservants were bad people. They were nasty characters who wanted to climb onto his bed. These two first-rank maidservants called Qiuyue and Chunhua were even worse. They became aplices who helped Yu Lanxuan deal with Zi Youter on.

    Zi You certainly wouldn¡¯t give up any chance to take care of them.

    Sure enough, Zhao HongXiang heard Zi You¡¯s words and immediately yelled in a hoarse voice, ¡°Scram out. Call Xiahe and Dongmei over.¡±

    The two aggrieved maidservants left. After a while, two maidservants who dressed and looked the same as the two previous maidservants came in.

    But they knew how to curtsy and salute Zi You. They brewed tea and served it to Zi You.

    However, Zi You did not drink it. She quietly diagnosed Zhao HongXiang. About five minutester, she stood up and said to Xiahe and Dongmei, ¡°Take out your Shaoye¡¯s injured leg. I want to check the wound.¡±

    The two maidservants were contemptuous. They thought, ¡®What general¡¯s Di granddaughter? So low and cheap. She not only learns medicine, but wants to see men¡¯s limbs. She¡¯s no different from those lowly doctors in the city.¡¯

    Their hearts looked down on Zi You, but they treated Zhao HongXiang with dedication.

    In spite of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s wound, they still did not wear masks. And they also didn¡¯t dare to reveal the slightest trace of aversion.

    They carefully exposed Zhao HongXiang¡¯s injured leg. Then they stood aside and didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Remove the cotton bandages,¡± Zi You ordered once again.

    Zi You secretly generated her spiritual power as she looked at the maidservants¡¯ eyes that were filled with despise.

    As the cotton bandages were being removed, Qiyan couldn¡¯t help but turn her head away.

    Zi You took a look at the wound. It was within her expectations. The rotting flesh was about the size of a child¡¯s fist. Reddish yellow pus oozed out. The bad odor made people want to vomit.

    Zi You lightly used her spiritual power and the two maidservants couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseous. They ran out and vomited non-stop.

    Zhao HongXiang didn¡¯t care about his pain and shame and viciously scolded, ¡°Cheap maids! You dare you show contempt for Ye?¡±

    His mouth scolded, but his heart felt more grateful towards Zi You.

    Even maidservants who had served him since childhood were averse to him. But Zi You did not move and carefully examined the wound. Sheforted, ¡°Xiang gege, don¡¯t worry about it and don¡¯t get angry. They¡¯re just two servants. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er.¡± Zhao HongXiang wanted to move his hand and touch her again.

    Zi You took the opportunity to use her spiritual power on the wound.

    Zhao HongXiang immediately felt a heart-piercing and gut-wrenching pain that spread throughout his body.

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119</h4>

    You have to pay back what your son and wife owe me too.

    Zi You¡¯s heart was as cold as ice, but her face feigned sympathy, concern, and pity. She said to Duke Yongnan and Zhao HongXiang, ¡°It¡¯s all done now. I have removed and cleaned up all the necrotic flesh. The next few days will be very painful. I¡¯ll leave medicine here for when Shizi cannot stand the pain. One packet a day and it cannot be used in excess. The medicine is 30% toxic. In addition, I will leave a prescription for medicine and medicinal cuisine. Use and eat ordingly. It¡¯s good for the recovery of Shizi¡¯s body¡¯s and his wound¡¯s recovery. Also, the things to note are here.¡±

    Zi You handed a piece of paper to Duke Yongnan. ¡°I wrote them down here. Please pay attention to it. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that Shizi¡¯s leg will heal. 30% treatment and 70% recuperation depends on you all. Qiyan, pack up and let¡¯s go. Boil the instruments when we get back for at least an hour. Oh, by the way, Uncle, the cotton cloths used for bandages and the necrotic flesh that was cut off should be burned to avoid infecting others.¡±

    Nee Chen pulled Zi You¡¯s hand and cried two crocodile tears. ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t me Aunt. Aunt was tortured by your Xiang gege¡¯s illness and lost her senses. That¡¯s why I spoke nonsense that day. Don¡¯t take it personally. Aunt is still waiting for you to be her daughter-inw.¡±

    Zi You faintly smiled. ¡°You¡¯er knows that out of concern, you were confused and at a loss. So, how can I me you? Only Aunt should pay attention to this in the future. Since you have such a disease, it¡¯s better to cultivate and improve yourself. Otherwise, if you¡¯re stimted again, it will be easy for the disease to act up again. At that time, it might not be easy to treat.¡±

    These words sounded good, but they were actually scolding Nee Chen for losing her mental processes because of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s illness. If this disease wasn¡¯t attended to, it would be easy to rear its head again. Thus, it won¡¯t be easy to cure anymore.

    This was the equivalent of calling Nee Chen a madwoman. Zi You wouldn¡¯t fuss over minor matters with a madwoman.

    How could Nee Chen not hear the meaning behind Zi You¡¯s words? Her chest hurt from anger and she almost vented her anger again.

    But once she thought about how her son ignored her and Duke Yongnan sleeping at his concubine¡¯s ce for the past three days, she didn¡¯t dare to express herself, no matter how much anger or hatred she had.

    Her face was stiff and she could only smile in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t me Aunt. You¡¯ll have to expend more effort for Xiang¡¯er¡¯s leg. He will be your husband soon. Only if he¡¯s well, can you be well, right?¡±

    ¡°What is Aunt saying?¡± Zi You feigned bashfulness. She quickly curtsied and left.

    She left Wang Yiping and Nee Liu behind.

    Wang Yiping had not yet recovered from the snake bite. Mu YingRui also took Shui YouLian with him to take up his post. Thus, she was finally well after being sick from anger for a short period of time. But now, she was angry again.

    She heard that her niece Yu Lanxuan wanted to marry and lost her innocence to Duke Yongnan Shizi. Now they were here to propose marriage. How could Wang Yiping continue to stay in bed? If she didn¡¯te here to make a disturbance, it wouldn¡¯t be her style.

    Thus, her scars just healed and she forgot her pain to run out here to show off.

    Wang Yiping showed off a mother¡¯s attitude. She looked at Zi You¡¯s delicate back leaving and a sh of hatred shed across her eyes. She lightly smiled and said, ¡°Look at that child. She¡¯s really not sensible. How can she leave her future mother-inw like this?¡±

    She turned to look at Nee Chen and said ingratiatingly, ¡°Zi You is shy. Please don¡¯t me her, Chen furen. Her father isn¡¯t here and I only have this one daughter, so she¡¯s a bit spoiled. Please forgive her if shecks manners.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with sister-inw¡¯s words.¡± Nee Liu coldly and reluctantly smiled. ¡°Our You¡¯er understands etiquette very well. From my perspective, everything is good about her. no guniang could stay here after hearing Chen furen¡¯s words. It would be a joke if she could stay.¡±

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with Chen furen¡¯s words. Since the two families are engaged, what¡¯s wrong with Chen furen treating You¡¯er as her daughter-inw?¡± Wang Yiping immediately asked.

    She was secretly happy. She thought that if Nee Chen despised that cheap yatou Mu Zi You now, Mu Zi You would be tortured when she marries into Duke Yongnan fu.

    At that time, her niece Yu Lanxuan would have a chance. She even told her, ¡°Duke Yongnan Shizi clearly likes me. But Duke Yongnan dislikes that I¡¯m a Shu daughter and doesn¡¯t want his son to marry me as his main wife.¡±

    It can be seen that it wasn¡¯t that Shizi Zhao HongXiang refuses to marry anyone other than Mu Zi You. As long as you and Nee Chen are in conflict and the unhappier you are, Lanxuan won¡¯t have to work hard.

    Nee Liu did not know about Wang Yiping¡¯s dirty intentions. She said impolitely, ¡°Chen furen¡¯s words are said a bit too early. Duke Yongnan fu had not sent over betrothal gifts. Even if you did send over betrothal gifts, our Lao TaiYe had said that Shizi must keep his promise. He can have only You¡¯er as his wife for a lifetime. He cannot marry concubines or have tongfang yatous. Otherwise, our You¡¯er will dissolve the engagement. Thus, now is still very far away from You¡¯er reaching her marriageable age. Who knows whether Shizi can keep his promise in three or four years? That¡¯s why I say that Chen furen¡¯s words are spoken too early. Let¡¯s not say that You¡¯er is shy, but even those with thick faces would be afraid to stay.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Wang Yiping deliberately eximed. ¡°Shizi can only have one wife? Did I hear you wrong? Dimei, why didn¡¯t you persuade Lao TaiYe? This isn¡¯t good. What man doesn¡¯t have three wives or four concubines? If you do it like this, wouldn¡¯t You¡¯er have a reputation of being un-virtuous and jealous?¡±

    Nee Liu looked at Wang Yiping¡¯s pretentious face and a wave of disgust rose from her heart.

    She couldn¡¯t help but secretly scold, ¡®Who was the one who took her anger out on You¡¯er when brother-inw took Shui YouLian as a concubine and even hurt You¡¯er¡¯s arm?¡¯

    Once Nee Liu remembered blood dripping down Zi You¡¯s arm, her anger rushed forwards. Her words became sharper. ¡°Oh? Un-virtuous and jealous? Why does sister-inw have to be hypocritical and act here? If you are virtuous, then why did you punish You¡¯er when brother-inw showed affection to Shui Yiniang? And why did you vent your anger out an innocent You¡¯er? Can it be that you can do it, but others cannot? We are all women. Who doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re really thinking? Don¡¯t be so hypocritical, okay? Besides, as elders, as long as the future generations are living well and our children are happy, everything else is irrelevant. It can¡¯t be that sister-inw isn¡¯t distressed because You¡¯er isn¡¯t your biological daughter, right? Ah, yes. I heard that your niece wanted to be Shizi¡¯s concubine. Can it be that sister-inw disregards You¡¯er¡¯s happiness because of your niece? This is really......¡±

    Nee Liu deliberately shook her head with a mocking expression. ¡°This is really raising a white-eyed wolf that eats everything and runs away.¡± Wang Yiping almost exploded! She pped the table and jumped up, about to vent her anger.

    But Nee Chen jumped up ahead of her. ¡°What? No concubines or tongfangs? Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡±

    Wang Yiping saw Nee Liu¡¯s anxious eyes and suppressed her anger. She sat back down and waited to watch the show.

    Nee Liu looked at Nee Chen¡¯s expression and knew that Duke Yongnan had hid from her the fact that he and Old General Mu had a contract.

    Thus, she looked at her in contempt. She slowly sipped tea and unhurriedly said, ¡°Yes. Can it be that Chen furen doesn¡¯t know about this? Then you should go back, ask the Duke, and clearly discuss things. Our You¡¯er may have saved your son, but she cannot afford someone being grateful and seeking to repay the kindness. I still have matters to attend to. I won¡¯t apany you.¡±

    Nee Liu did not have a good impression of Duke Yongnan¡¯s whole family now.

    As for Wang Yiping, since she punished Zi You that time, Nee Liu had not shown her a pleasant expression.

    After Nee Liu left, Nee Chen couldn¡¯t sit still and hurried to leave, but was pulled back by Wang Yiping. ¡°Don¡¯t go yet, Chen furen.¡±

    Wang Yiping rushed forwards with feigned apologies and curtsied to Nee Chen. She had a faint smile on her face. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Chen furen. As you can see, my Dimei reprimands me, her sister-inw, as she wishes. Ai...... There¡¯s no other way! Who let her be in Lao TaiYe¡¯s favor?¡±

    Nee Chen was very clear that Duke Yongnan hid things from her because he did not want her to ruin this engagement.

    But she really disliked Zi You. Because of that darned yatou, she had been told off by the Duke and her son many times.

    Now that she heard what Wang Yiping said, she knew that Wang Yiping did not like Zi You either.

    As if she found a sympathetic friend, she grabbed Wang Yiping¡¯s hand and looked around.

    ¡°All of you take your leave.¡± Wang Yiping saw her expression and knew that she wanted to discuss important matters with her, so she immediately sent away the servants.

    Nee Chen smiled knowingly. She feigned sympathy as she whispered in Wang Yiping¡¯s ear, ¡°I know that it¡¯s not easy for you in this fu. I¡¯ll tell you the truth. I don¡¯t like Mu Xiaojie. If the Duke and my son did not insist on it, I really would rather Xuan¡¯er [Yu Lanxuan] be my daughter-inw. To marry a wife is to marry virtuousness. Mu Xiaojie is learning medicine and martial arts. I think that she doesn¡¯t act like a female at all or know her ce.¡±

    Afterwards, Zi You looked at Old General Mu and sweetly said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave, grandfather.¡±

    Duke Yongnan hurriedly tried to retain them when he saw that they were leaving. ¡°How can you leave without having dinner? Leave after the meal. Old General, tonight......¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Duke Yongnan had not finished speaking, but was pushed aside by Old General Mu. ¡°You should be busy with your son and teach your furen how to behave. If You¡¯er is not benevolent, this general would not let her be mistreated here.¡±

    He left.

    Zi You curtsied and rushed out.

    Duke Yongnan¡¯s face was red and he finally reacted. He hurriedly chased them. ¡°Old general, old general. Please listen to me......¡±

    Three dayster, Duke Yongnan came with Nee Chen to formally apologize again.

    The reason was that Zhao HongXiang¡¯s fever receded. His wound also showed signs of improvement. It not only did not rot anymore, but new flesh was growing around the edges.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120</h4>

    Nee Chen¡¯s voice was filled with resentment. ¡°But my son and Laoye particrly like her and must have her marry over. I¡¯m out of ideas. If you do me a favor and have my son ruin her innocence so that she has no choice but to marry him as a concubine, then I will find a way to make Lanxuan my son¡¯s main wife.¡±

    Wang Yiping was extremely happy, but she was afraid that Nee Chen was lying to her.

    Thus, she ruefully smiled and shook her head. She sighed, ¡°Ai...... Why does it sound like me, the stepmother, isn¡¯t liked by her daughter? In fact, I¡¯m aggrieved to death. I actually treat You¡¯er much better than Xuan¡¯er. But no matter what I do, You¡¯er doesn¡¯t appreciate it. I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    Nee Chen secretly twisted her lips. She was internally ck-belly. ¡®She still wants to build a chastity monument? Who doesn¡¯t know your intentions? You¡¯re still pretending with me?¡¯

    Nee Chen¡¯s face deliberately sunk. She stood up and put on a posture of leaving. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, then forget it. As long as Mu Xiaojie marries, she must respect me as her mother-inw anyway. Your niece already ruined her reputation at our Duke Yongnan fust time. You worry about that.¡±

    Wang Yiping saw that Nee Chen was unhappy, so she immediately smiled apologetically. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t agree. Why are you leaving? Don¡¯t worry. We will slowly n this matter out.¡±

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s settled then. If you have a good idea, send someone to let me know.¡± Nee Chen patted Wang Yiping¡¯s hand and walked outside in satisfaction.

    After she left, Wang Yiping had a malevolent smile on her face.

    She hated Zi You even more now. The main reason was because after Mu YingRui¡¯s injuries were healed, he did note say goodbye to her in her courtyard.

    She angrily went to find him. He not only flirted with that cheap wench Shui YouLian in front of her, but said forcefully and righteously to her, ¡°Furen, Lian¡¯er faithfully took care of me while I was injured. I can¡¯t do without her anymore. I told my father yesterday that I will make her a yiniang and have her follow me to take up the post. Father has agreed. I was going to ask her to give you tea in ceremony tomorrow before we leave. Since you¡¯re here, we¡¯ll do it now.¡±

    After he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t give her the chance to refute and said to that demoness, ¡°Lian¡¯er, give Furen a cup of tea.¡±

    Wang Yiping was so angry that her internal organs shifted in pain as she suppressed her anger. Drinking the cheap wench¡¯s tea wasn¡¯t for any purpose other than to have him sleep with her once. That way, it would be easier to im that her and her brother¡¯s child would be his.

    Mu YingRui had been gone for ten days already. Even when she thought about this incident now, Wang Yiping still gnashed her teeth in extreme anger.

    She was sullen enough that day. She not only drank Shui YouLian¡¯s tea, but had to say to her, ¡°Laoye is entrusted to you then, Fifth Yiniang. You have to serve Laoye well on the road and don¡¯t let Laoye harm his body.¡±

    Then she pretended to be affectionate and looked at Mu YingRui tearfully. She looked extremely unwilling to part from him as she delicately said, ¡°Bieqieid out Laoye¡¯s favorite food and drinks in the courtyard. Bieqie invites Laoye over to let Bieqie bid farewell.¡±

    His wife¡¯s attitude was so low and submissive. She also obediently drank the tea that his beloved concubine handed to her. In addition, she was showing an affectionate expression and reluctance to part with him. Mu YingRui¡¯s vanity was greatly satisfied. He couldn¡¯t be aloof anymore and went with Wang Yiping to her courtyard.

    In her room, she used her body and gave it her all. With difficulty, she managed to move Mu YingRui and he promised to spend the night with her.

    Thus, the two people were full of wine and got onto the bed after washing up.

    Who knew that as the two were getting in the mood and reaching a crucial point, Shui YouLian¡¯s maidservant screamed outside. ¡°Laoye, Fifth Yiniang is sick. She¡¯s desperately gasping for breath. The doctor said that she might be in danger. Second Furen [Nee Liu] is worried and asks Laoye to go over to take a look.¡±

    Since Shui YouLian had been with him, she hadn¡¯t had an asthma attack in a long time. They were about to leave tomorrow. So, why was she suddenly so ill?

    Hearing that there was danger, even if Mu YingRui was more of a beast or if he was thinking of that, he didn¡¯t dare to continue.

    He hurriedly got off of Wang Yiping¡¯s body and rushed to Shui YouLian¡¯s ce.

    When he got there, he saw that Shui YouLian was having an asthma attack. She was breathless and gasping for breath. Her beautiful face was choked into a purple color. She looked helplessly and weakly at Mu YingRui with tearful eyes, making Mu YingRui extremely distressed.

    Thinking of how affectionate they were during the past few days, he anxiously went over to hold Shui YouLian. He fretted with a pale face, ¡°Why did you suddenly get sick?¡±

    Then he immediately berated the two maidservants. ¡°How did you serve your master?¡±

    The Xiaoyu, who went to call him here, quickly knelt and cried, ¡°Since Laoye left, Fifth Yiniang felt stuffy. She waited and waited, but when Laoye didn¡¯t return, she washed up for bed. But soon, she started having an asthma attack and gasping for breath. Nubi went to find Laoye twice, but was blocked by Furen¡¯s servant.¡±

    ¡°Father,¡± Zi You interjected at this time. ¡°Don¡¯t me the maidservants. The doctor and daughter¡¯s diagnoses are the same. Yiniang came into contact with some pollen that should have been avoided. In addition, with heavy worry, that¡¯s why her asthma attack is so serious.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t pollen strictly forbidden from being brought into this courtyard?¡± Mu YingRui shouted. ¡°You¡¯re leaving with Ye to take up the post tomorrow. What else are you worried about?¡±

    ¡°Lian¡¯er...... Lian¡¯er...... is afraid that Laoye...... won¡¯t take...... Lian¡¯er with you. That¡¯s why......¡± Shui YouLian said, gasping for breath.

    At this time, Nee Liu took the opportunity to say, ¡°Brother-inw, Fifth Yiniang just said that as soon as she smelled the fragrance on sister-inw, she knew that she would get an asthma attack. The smell of the cosmetics on sister-inw is so heavy. Then she called you away and you did not return. Fifth Yiniang was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t take her with you if she fell ill. This is normal.¡±

    Mu YingRui understood. So Wang Yiping heavily used cosmetics to induce Shui YouLian into having an asthma attack and then made her worry. Wang Yiping probably had the motive to not have him bring Shui YouLian to take up the post.

    That woman. He thought that she was reluctant to part with him. It turned out that she wanted to murder his beloved concubine.

    Coupled with the fact that Shui YouLian¡¯s maidservant was blocked by Wang Yiping¡¯s servant, Mu YingRui hated Wang Yiping.

    That cheap slut! Jinx! How could she so vicious? In the blink of an eye, she wanted his beloved concubine¡¯s life. She really was thoroughly abominable!

    Like this, Mu YingRui was angered nearly to death. The next day, when Shui YouLian¡¯s condition seemed to have improved, he hurriedly rushed to take her along. He didn¡¯t even greet Wang Yiping once.

    Wang Yiping went to send him off, but Mu YingRui didn¡¯t even smile at her. He only ordered, ¡°Take good care of Ye¡¯s father and treat Ye¡¯s daughter well. Ye is leaving.¡±

    She looked at this scene and was angered until she wanted to vomit blood. That cheap wench Mu Zi You did not let her off. She said to that vixen, ¡°Fifth Yiniang, I hope that when youe back during the Spring Festival, you will be carrying a little brother or little sister.¡±

    ¡°Bah! I curse her to never get pregnant!¡± Thinking of this, Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud.

    Wang Yiping and Nee Chen thought that their private agreement was very secretive and that no one knew about it. They did not expect, however, a pure white spirit mouse was hiding in its hole and clearly heard every word between them.

    In a short period of time, it reported everything to Weishali.

    Weishali was now the leader of the spirit pets. Seeing that the little spirit mouse, Xiaoyin, performed well, Weishali immediately stuck its tongue out to lick it, as a form of praise. Then it went to report to Zi You.

    Zi You patted Weishali¡¯s head and whispered, ¡°Continue monitoring them. Also, arrange the little animals well to monitor at the wangzis¡¯, Yu Lanxuan¡¯s, and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s. Keep a close eye on them twenty-four hours a day.¡±

    Weishali waved its tail and quickly left.

    It was very happy and gratified. Its old master left it behind to protect little master. Now little master was getting increasingly more powerful. Her spiritual power and martial arts not only improved, but the spirit pets increased their spiritual power ordingly.

    These spirit pets were founded by Weishali to prove that itpletely submitted to Zi You. Their spiritual power wasn¡¯t very high, but they weren¡¯tpletely inexperienced. They could basically understand it and little master¡¯s words.

    Although little master needed to expend some effort to understand them, but they were very helpful since they understood her.

    Duke Yongnan had a very sincere attitude when he visited this time. It was unnecessary to speak of his feelings of gratitude towards Old General Mu and Zi You. He also promised, ¡°Please rest assured, Old General! When You¡¯er marries into Duke Yongnan fu in the future, she will be my daughter. No matter who it is, I will not let him bully You¡¯er! Then, should we finalize the engagement? I have invited Daoist priest Yuxu to take a look at You¡¯er and Xiang¡¯er¡¯s birthdates. We will naturally prepare the highest level of betrothal gifts, guaranteed to make everyone in the capital envious of You¡¯er.¡±

    Old General Mu faintly nodded. ¡°Okay, since you¡¯re so sincere, then I will no longer object. But please be mindful of the agreement. If you vite it, don¡¯t me me for reneging.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Duke Yongnanughed cheerfully. ¡°If Xiang¡¯er dares to do so, I won¡¯t let him off either.¡±

    Duke Yongnan still did not know that his wife and Wang Yiping made a vicious plot behind his back. He happily went back to his fu to prepare the betrothal gifts.

    Weishali went to report everything to Zi You after it eavesdropped. Zi You revealed an elegant and exquisite smile.

    She was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t make ns. They actually couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.

    This was very good. It was better than her plotting which would waste effort, energy, and time.

    Seven dayster was an auspicious day for marriage matters. It was also the day that Duke Yongnan went to the General¡¯s Manor to finalize the engagement and send the betrothal gifts over.

    120 boxes of betrothal gifts dazzled people¡¯s eyes. It showed that Duke Yongnan put in effort.

    Actually, there was no other way. The betrothal gifts were to dispel the rumors.

    Before this, a rumor spread among the capital¡¯s nobility. ¡°Did you hear? Even the imperial doctors are helpless in curing Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s leg. But he was actually cured by Old General Mu¡¯s granddaughter, Mu Xiaojie.¡±

 Chapter 121 Fellow Sufferers Empathize With Each Other; The Truth is Revealed [1]

    <h4>Chapter 121 Fellow Sufferers Empathize With Each Other; The Truth is Revealed [1]</h4>

    ¡°I heard that her mother¡¯s medical skills were superb. The daughter is following in her mother¡¯s footsteps. And now she formed a female medical team. Such ability is really a blessing for the military.¡±

    ¡°Yes. No matter what, she cured Shizi¡¯s leg, wasn¡¯t averse to him, and agreed to marry him. She¡¯s more righteous than Duke Yongnan¡¯s whole family. Haven¡¯t you heard? In order to cure his son, Duke Yongnan took advantage of the situation and coerced Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    ¡°Yes. When Taizi, Third Wangzi, and An Wang Shizipeted to marry Mu Xiaojie, everyone thought that there was some secret entanglement among them. To prove his granddaughter¡¯s innocence, Old General Mu refused Taizi, Third Wangzi, and An Wang Shizi¡¯s marriage proposals. At that time, Duke Yongnan came to beg on his knees for Old General Mu to marry Mu Xiaojie to his son. He said that his son wouldn¡¯t marry anyone but Mu Xiaojie. If this wasn¡¯t taking advantage of the situation, then what is it? Poor Mu Xiaojie. She cured his son¡¯s leg and even had to agree to marry his son.¡±

    ¡°If Taizi, Third Wangzi, and An Wang Shizi are bad people, then Duke Yongnan and his son are even worse people. How can they bully people like that? Without Old General Mu, would our Great Yan be so peaceful?¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    There were people in teahouses and wine shops everywhere in the capital discussing this matter.

    Of course, they were discussing it in whispers. But they still passed into the ears of Taizi, Third Wangzi, and Shangguan LingRan.

    Despite his anger, when Taizi heard, he let out a sigh of relief.

    Third Wangzi ruthlessly smashed all the antique jade in his room. ¡°A little Shizi dares to fight with Benwangzi for a woman! Wait and see. Benwangzi will make you suffer terribly and show off Benwangzi¡¯s ability.¡±

    At this time, Second Wangzi was feeling sorry for Zi You. His brain suddenly lit up. He said to his eunuch Xiao Zhuzhi, ¡°Push Benwangzi to Mufei¡¯s.¡±

    [Mufei: imperial consort mother, who is not the Empress (Muhou)]

    Xiao Zhuzhi knew that Second Wangzi had a bad temper so he did not dare to dy. He hurriedly pushed the wheelchair De Fei¡¯s Changchun Pce.

    De Fei saw that her son came so she hurried went to meet him. She asked, with great expectation, ¡°Son, how is it today? Was there any feeling?¡±

    Second Wangzi saw that his Mufei asked him this every time she saw him. He couldn¡¯t bear to make his Mufei sad anymore, so he revealed a far-fetched smile. ¡°Mufei, Erchen feels much better today than yesterday.¡±

    Speaking of which, his Mufei was very pitiful. Since he was paralyzed, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to curry favor with his Fuwang. As a result, she went from a favored consort to a resentful wife.

    He was also upset that she asked him if he had any feeling in his legs every time, so he didn¡¯te to see her.

    Second Wangzi looked at his Mufei¡¯s somewhat haggard face and didn¡¯t want to make her sad. So, he quickly said what was on his mind. ¡°Mufei, Erchen wanted toe to talk about something. Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s leg had a poisonous sore a few days ago. Imperial doctors were invited from all over but could not cure it. Do you know about this matter?¡±

    De Fei thought to herself, ¡®You think that I have the time to worry about others? I can¡¯t even worry about you enough. Where do I have the mood to care about others?¡¯

    But she could not say these words. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t know how sad her son would be.

    De Fei suppressed her heart full of bitterness. She forced herself to smile and said, ¡°I heard, but didn¡¯t ask more about it.¡±

    Second Wangzi spoke somewhat excitedly, ¡°Mufei, things were like this. Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s leg grew a poisonous sore. None of the imperial doctors could cure it. Do you know who cured it in the end?¡±

    After he asked, Second Wangzi did not wait for De Fei to answer, and said excitedly, ¡°Old General Mu¡¯s granddaughter, Mu Xiaojie, cured it. This makes son hold a bit of hope. Those imperial doctors said that they couldn¡¯t cure son¡¯s injuries back then too. Son is now thinking if their medical skills were too bad? If Mu Xiaojie tries to treat son, do you think there will be hope?¡±

    De Fei was a little surprised. Since her son was paralyzed, he hadn¡¯t trusted anyone again.

    What did this Mu Zi You do that made her son so trusting of her?

    De Fei did not know that since her son¡¯s paralysis, almost everyone looked at him with eyes of contempt or sympathy. No one was like Zi You who looked at him with astounded eyes.

    That look was like when people used to look at him before he was paralyzed.

    He was the handsomest among the wangzis. Plus, he had his Fuwang¡¯s favor, so at the time, everyone looked at him with envious and astounded eyes.

    Butter on...... Second Wangzi thought of everything that happened after he was paralyzed. He was secretly determined that he must stand up again. He wanted the people who have hurt him, threw rocks while he was down, and despised him to pay the price.

    De Fei watched her eyes changed from pained, resentful, ruthless, and finally determined. It was like a knife was slicing her heart.

    Her eyes turned misty. She endured for a long time and rubbed her eyes. Then she strongly smiled. ¡°Okay. Since you said so, then Mufei will go ask the Emperor......¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask him!¡± De Fei had not finished speaking, but Second Wangzi objected with a gloomy face. ¡°Don¡¯t ask him, Mufei. He has plenty of sons. He no longer cares about son¡¯s life or death. If Mufei does not agree, son will go ask Mu Xiaojie personally.¡±

    ¡°Mufei agrees, Mufei agrees. Mufei will summon her to the Pce tomorrow.¡± De Fei heard how deep her son¡¯s resentment towards the Emperor was and was even sadder. What more was there to say? She hurriedly nodded in agreement.

    However, Second Wangzi shook his head. ¡°How about Mufei sending someone to summon her to the Pce right now? Son heard that she was going into the mountains with Old General Mu to train soldiers. Son is afraid that it will be toote.¡±

    De Fei looked at the time. It had passed Bu Shi [3 to 5 p.m.] so she persuaded, ¡°It¡¯ste now. Old General Mu might not agree. Let¡¯s be prudent and wait until tomorrow. Mufei knows that you¡¯re anxious, but you still have to consider others¡¯ difficulties, right?¡±

    Second Wangzi nodded in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, son is too impatient and didn¡¯t consider it. We¡¯ll do it ording to what Mufei said then.¡±

    De Fei had not summoned Zi You into the Pce, but Shangguan LingRan ran to Hundred Herb Garden that night.

    When he heard that Zi You was engaged to Zhao HongXiang, he was extremely angry!

    He took out the earring that he stole from Zi You and angrily scolded, ¡°This idiot! She clearly knows that that Zhao HongXiang is nothing good and clearly knows that this Shizi likes her. But you dare to get engaged to him? Wait for this Ye. See how this Ye will take care of you!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was secretly frightened when he arrived at Hundred Herb Garden. He hadn¡¯te to find Zi You for nine days because he was anxious to recover his martial arts to seek revenge from Shangguan Lingluo.

    He didn¡¯t expect that her Hundred Herb Garden array had changed and it was harder to solve than thest one.

    Even though he had seen many arrays, he still needed more than half an hour topletely solve it.

    After he solved the array and came to the Hundred Herb Garden¡¯s door, unsurprisingly, he met Weishali and the spirit pets it led.

    Weishali saw that it was him and spat and rolled its eyes in despise twice. Then he reported to Zi You, ¡°Little master, that An Wang Shizi is here again.¡±

    ¡°Kick him out,¡± Zi You ordered impolitely. She really didn¡¯t want to be involved with him.

    However, she underestimated Shangguan LingRan¡¯s power. Since his martial arts were fully recovered, how could these spirit pets stop him?

    Soon, Weishali reported again. ¡°This man¡¯s martial arts are too strong. We can¡¯t hold on.¡±

    ¡°Hateful!¡± Zi You scolded out loud. She put the several kinds of poisons that she extracted from herbs into a porcin bottle and put it away carefully. She turned to leave.

    At the entrance to Hundred Herb Garden, she saw Weishali and the small animals being surrounded by a red me.

    That red fire emitted a purple color. Zi You was quite certain that that was the most beautiful me she had ever seen.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Zi You asked coldly.

    ¡°If Ye doesn¡¯te, Ye¡¯s wife will have ran off with someone else.¡± Shangguan LingRan also answered huffily.

    ¡°Who is your wife?¡± Zi You was angry. She generated her spiritual power to disperse the me, but there was no effect.

    Zi You suppressed the shock in her heart. She revealed a flirtatious smile, like the ck mandara flowers in the flower bed. ¡°Eh? How fun. Shangguan LingRan, what kind of fire is this? Howe I can¡¯t destroy it?¡±

    Then she deliberately lifted her foot to step on the me.

    Shangguan LingRan was startled. He flew over and extinguished the mes. Then he pulled her into his arms. ¡°You really are stupid! Is the me something you can stomp out? Careful it doesn¡¯t burn you into a skeleton!¡±

    Zi You secretly and proudlyughed. She did that on purpose to see if Shangguan LingRantched onto her out of some other motive or if he was sincere.

    Seeing that he was so concerned over her, her heart wasn¡¯t moved, but there was a trace of pride.

    Thus, she deliberately did not break free from his arms and lifted her head to look at him. She lightly smiled as she asked, ¡°What kind of martial arts are you practicing that is so powerful? Even Weishali is trapped by you.¡±

    Because Zi You just used her spiritual power, her eyes were a deep purple. Underneath the moonlight, they sparkled and were even more dazzling than amethysts, as if they could illuminate his shadow.

    Shangguan LingRan was stunned as he looked at her. He muttered, ¡°Amethysts...... You¡¯er, your eyes are really beautiful!¡±

    He bent down to kiss her, but Zi You tapped his acupuncture point. ¡°Haha...... Shangguan LingRan, you¡¯ve fallen for a trick.¡±

    Zi You looked at Shangguan LingRan¡¯s startled expression and was as proud as a fox.

    Then she pushed him down, grabbed his legs, and pulled him into the house.

    She took a pair of extremely sharp flower-trimming scissors and walked around him. Her eyesnded on Shangguan LingRan¡¯s crotch underneath his abdomen.

    She smiled devilishly and enchantingly. Her voice was gentler than ever. ¡°Shizi Ye, you spend your days in brothels and the red-light district. What do you think if I...... cut off your little brother today and turn you into a eunuch?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her in rm and anger. He scolded, ¡°You heartless darned yatou! You want to kill your husband?¡±

 Chapter 122 Fellow Sufferers Empathize With Each Other; The Truth is Revealed [2]

    <h4>Chapter 122 Fellow Sufferers Empathize With Each Other; The Truth is Revealed [2]</h4>

    After reproaching her, he thought a bit and pled, ¡°Good You¡¯er, the one to suffer in the future will be you. Do you want to be a living widow before you get married? You should let your husband, me, off.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± Zi You angrily rebuked, ¡°If you dare to speak nonsense again, I¡¯ll cut off your tongue too.¡±

    After all, she was just a twelve-year-old little yatou. Although she was sixteen years old in her previous life and was familiar with male and female rtions, she still involuntarily blushed to be so straightforwardly flirted with by a man the same age as she was in her previous life.

    Shangguan LingRan actuallyughed shamelessly when he saw Zi You¡¯s red face. ¡°You¡¯er, if you want to take this opportunity to find out if your husband, me, is majestic enough, you can just ask. Why do you have to do so much work? Free your husband¡¯s acupuncture point and your husband will personally show you.¡±

    Zi You finally understood what being thick-skinned and a scoundrel was.

    She felt that this Shangguan LingRan was a scoundrel and extremely thick-skinned.

    The bashful and angry Zi You was angered until tears appeared in her eyes. ¡°You lecher! If I don¡¯t cut your tongue out today, I will...... I will......¡±

    Zi You¡¯s anger made ayer of sparkling and translucent mist appear on her eyshes.

    In addition to her delicate skin like her mother¡¯s and the whiteness of her skin like Mu YingRui¡¯s, she was truly like a freshly-peeled egg: white and tender.

    Her anger made her cheeks turn red. That extremely beautiful and elegant pair of purple eyes made her seem more beautiful than usual.

    Shangguan LingRan had actually freed his own acupuncture point already. But once he saw her drooping allure like a purple rose, his heart that already liked her liked her even more.

    He jumped up and reached for the scissors. Then he pulled the Zi You who was baring her fangs and ws at him, yet was reluctant to take action, into his arms.

    He took the scissors and smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t bear it? Ye knows that Ye¡¯s little You¡¯er acts tough, but is softhearted. In fact, you¡¯re very happy to see your husbande, right?¡±

    Zi You was imprisoned his arms. She smelled that familiar and distinctive masculine smell mixed with a fresh bamboo scent. She was so angry that she almost toppled over.

    Why was she so careless? She knew that this scoundrel¡¯s martial arts were high, so why did she not tie him up with a rope?

    Now, he would certainly not fall for the beauty trap again.

    As if he had guessed what she was thinking about, before Zi You finished being upset, Shangguan LingRan smiled. ¡°Darling, you must have beening up with a n to subdue your husband, right? Then your husband will tell you that all of your schemes won¡¯t work on your husband. Only the beauty trap will work. Why don¡¯t you try the beauty trap again? Your husband guarantees that he will fall for it.¡±

    Zi You knew that the more she struggled right now, the prouder the scoundrel would be. Thus, she deliberately sighed in his arms. She faintly said, ¡°Shangguan LingRan, why are you trying so hard to keep in contact with me? You saved my life and I saved yours. We¡¯re even now. What more do you want?¡±

    ¡°Even.¡± Shangguan LingRan feigned being aggrieved andined, ¡°You¡¯er, that¡¯s an excessive thing to say! We are even when ites to saving each others¡¯ lives, but don¡¯t forget. When you treated your husband¡¯s injuries, you¡¯ve seen your husband¡¯s whole naked body. If you don¡¯t take responsibility for your husband, then who will your husband marry in the future?¡±

    Zi You was even more humiliated and angry listening to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s words.

    When he was unconscious, due to excessive bleeding, much of his clothing was cut. She took off all his clothes to treat his injuries. He actually knew of this matter.

    Once she thought of that day¡¯s events, Zi You¡¯s face not only turned red and ears turned hot, but even her breathing hastened.

    It was the first time that she had seen a man¡¯s naked body. Although this man was a rogue and a scoundrel, she had to admit that his face and body were those of an evildoer¡¯s!

    She didn¡¯t know what good things this scoundrel ate. He was only sixteen years old and he was already 180 centimeters tall [~5¡¯8¡±].

    Not only that, but his body didn¡¯t contain a trace of fat. His body was tall and straight, like that of a tree in a ck forest. And that symbol of manhood waspletely adult-size.

    In her mother¡¯s medical books, she had seen diagrams of the human body. There were men, women, and children. Even the dimensions were clearly marked.

    She certainly knew what was big and what was small. This man¡¯s thing was absolutely different from ordinary people.

    Zi You was wrapped in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s arms and in very close contact with his body.

    Once she remembered this, Zi You was ufortable. A strange, never-before feeling hit her whole body.

    Her heart beat like a drum. Her body turned hot and dry. Her limbs were weak. Her head felt dizzy.

    This poor little yatou had never experienced this feeling even after bing someone¡¯s wife in her previous life. She didn¡¯t understand why she was feeling like this. She even thought that Shangguan LingRan used some sort of martial arts technique on her and caused her to be like this.

    Thus, she began to struggle as she angrily said, ¡°Let go of me. It¡¯s too hot. Ufortable......¡±

    Only, she was very ashamed when she said these words!

    Her voice was not a firm refusal, but a coquettish moan.

    It would be strange if Shangguan LingRan would let go of her when she sounded like that. It was be good if she didn¡¯t say that, but coupled with her body constantly twisting, Shangguan LingRan was enchanted. His soul was about to be sucked away.

    His arms around Zi You became more forceful. He said in a low and husky voice in her ear, ¡°Good You¡¯er, I¡¯m hot too. But I¡¯m very happy. I¡¯m very happy that I can hug you. I like you. But I don¡¯t dare to ask imperial grandmother to betroth you to me. I¡¯m afraid of bringing disaster to you and the General¡¯s Manor. So, You¡¯er, don¡¯t get engaged to anyone else. When I have the ability to protect you, can you marry me then? Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t have any other women. I will be like your grandfather and uncle. I will only be good to you for a lifetime.¡±

    A wave of heat blew towards Zi You¡¯s ear. Shangguan LingRan¡¯s breath contained the scent of bamboo that rushed into her nose. It was like an electric current passed through her body and numbing her. This feeling couldn¡¯t be said to be bad orfortable. In short, she had never felt this feeling before.

    For a period of time, Zi You started sweating. She took several deep breaths. Her nails pierced into her palms and made that hot and dry sensation feel a little better.

    But she did not dare struggle anymore. She could clearly feel that there was a rod against her buttocks.

    This time, she at least knew what it was. She wouldn¡¯t use her hand to grab it anyway.

    She thought a bit and could only try the beauty trap again. She softly said, ¡°Shangguan LingRan, let go of me first, okay? Only if you let go of me, then we can talk, right?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at how she wasn¡¯t like a little lion brandishing her ws at him anymore and became gentler.

    Thus, he let go of her and said, somewhat bashfully, ¡°I originally came to talk to you. But who knew that you would tap my acupuncture point and want to turn me into a eunuch?¡± When he spoke thest bit, Shangguan LingRan turned a bit embarrassed. Not only did his voice be lower, but his face turned red too.

    Zi You¡¯s face also turned red. Her heart that was just calm surged violently again.

    She could only cough to hide her panic. ¡°Uh...... Why did youe to find me?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately replied, ¡°You clearly don¡¯t like Zhao HongXiang, so why did you cure his leg and get engaged to him? You¡¯er, he is not a good person. You cannot marry him. He is Taizi¡¯s person. Shangguan Lingluo is also Taizi¡¯s person. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t dare to step out that day when Shangguan Lingluo insulted you. How can this kind of craven, cowardly, and fawning man be worthy of a brimming-with-talent and lofty and unyielding military family¡¯s Di daughter, You¡¯er?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you always call me stupid?¡± Zi You coldly asked. ¡°Are your lips smeared with honey today? That¡¯s why you praise me so much?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°You still hold a grudge? Didn¡¯t I say that because I wanted your attention? The first time that I saw you was on the street. I didn¡¯t know why the market was so lively and bustling, but your back carried an indescribable loneliness that made me notice you in a sea of people. That¡¯s why I deliberately teased you. I feel that we are the same kind of person. We have fathers who might as well not be here. While I was staying at your fu, I saw that your father never came to visit you, who were pretending to be injured. My Wangye father is also the same. He only has the two Shu sons born from ceifeis in his eyes. I, his Di son, am superfluous. If imperial grandmother didn¡¯t object, I¡¯m afraid An Wang Shizi¡¯s position will not belong to me.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s heart was a turbulent sea again.

    It was as if she met a fellow sufferer who empathized with her.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is it because the two cefeis were bestowed to Wangye by the Empress Dowager? That¡¯s why Wangye particrly dotes on them?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head. ¡°The two cefeis are bestowed by the Emperor. They are his eyes for monitoring my father.¡±

    ¡°Then why does he dote on the cefeis?¡± Zi You widened her quiet spring-like eyes in iprehension. ¡°Is it to prove his loyalty to the Emperor? Hehe...... He really can¡¯t tell good from bad. These cold, selfish, and g men should all go to hell!¡±

    Zi You thought about the Zhao HongXiang from her previous life and couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud.

    Shangguan LingRan saw that she hated men so much and didn¡¯t think much of it. He assumed that she was referring to her scoundrel father like his Fuwang.

    Thus, he was a bit ufortable hearing that she was berating his Fuwang in public.

    However, he didn¡¯t have the heart to me her.

    He looked her quiet spring-like eyes that were as cold as ice. His heart unconsciously pained.

    This feeling made him realize that he couldn¡¯t let go of the little yatou in front of him.

 Chapter 123 Seeing an Erotic Show at Taiziâ€™s [1]

    <h4>Chapter 123 Seeing an Erotic Show at Taizi¡¯s [1]</h4>

    That was because he, Heartless Gongzi, was never merciful to or felt heartache for anyone other than his mother, his mother¡¯s family, his Shifu, martial brothers, and a few confidant subordinates.

    Thinking of this, Shangguan LingRan couldn¡¯t help but softly advise, ¡°Don¡¯t care too much about your father. You have your grandfather, uncle, aunt, and me. We will take good care of you in the future.¡±

    ¡°Why do I need you to take care of me?¡± Zi You thought of Zhao HongXiang and turned cold again.

    It was as if the person who was emotionally moved just now wasn¡¯t her.

    Shangguan LingRan did not expect that in a moment, she, once again, turned ice-cold.

    So he anxiously grabbed her shoulder and asked, ¡°You clearly don¡¯t hate me, so why don¡¯t you let down your guard so I can get close to you?¡±

    Zi You smiled coldly, ¡°Let you get close? Who are you to me? Why should I let you get close to me?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was most afraid to see a Zi You who was exuding coldness from deep within her bones.

    She was like an iceberg that separated herself from him. That imprable, marrow-chilling expanse of ice could really drive him mad!

    ¡°You¡¯er.¡± Shangguan LingRan did not exhibit any roguish behavior or get angry this time.

    That was because thest time he got angry, he didn¡¯t see her for ten days. As a result, she became engaged to that hypocritical fake gentleman Zhao HongXiang.

    If he acted like a rogue, the little yatou might think that he really was a skirt-chaser and would never open her heart to him.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You and very solemnly said, ¡°Do you know why I haven¡¯te to look for you these days? I was practicing to recover my martial arts as soon as possible so that I can take care of Shangguan Lingluo and avenge you and me. You¡¯er, I am not a dandy or some kindhearted person. I really am the Heartless Gongzi in Jianghu [the pugilistic world]......¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Shangguan LingRan had not finished speaking, but Zi You mockingly interrupted him. ¡°You think that I don¡¯t leave the house so I won¡¯t know Jianghu¡¯s matters? Heartless Gongzi is Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s Xuanyuan Daozhang¡¯s direct disciple and the disciple with the best martial arts. He is legendary for being callous and unfeeling and never leaving a person alive. His usual weapon is a curved de that¡¯s as thin as cicada wings. When he kills people, he has one move: waist-cutting. He will cleave a person in half from the waist. He is also cultivating a masterpiece of martial arts: Fire Cloud Palm. One palm strike will burn your internal organs and......¡±

    Zi You said to here and remembered the strange ring of fire that surrounded her spirit pets. She looked at Shangguan LingRan and did not speak anymore.

    Shangguan LingRan lifted his palm and slowly generated energy. Soon, a bright red and glistening droplet like a cloud appeared in his palm.

    Zi You instantly felt the heat rolling from his palm. She felt a burning sensation on her exposed skin.

    She quickly retreated, but Shangguan LingRan had already retracted his energy. The red cloud in his palm gradually turned pink.

    At this time, he saw Zi You lifting her leg to kick him like a small leopard. ¡°Bastard! How dare you lie to me? Since you are Heartless Gongzi, why didn¡¯t you use your legendary martial arts to burn those assassins to death? What were you doing with your sorry figure? You wanted to get close to the General¡¯s Manor? What do you really want to do?¡±

    She was really angry. She didn¡¯t believe him at all when Shangguan LingRan told her that he was Heartless Gongzist time because she didn¡¯t see him use any of Heartless Gongzi¡¯s moves.

    She thought, ¡®Who are you kidding? If you are really Heartless Gongzi, you were injured to that state and you still didn¡¯t use your ultimate move?¡¯

    But today, she personally witnessed him disying Fire Cloud Palm. She couldn¡¯t not believe it anymore.

    Thinking that he had an ultimate move, but did not use it and let himself be injured to that state, she didn¡¯t know why, but she was angry enough to go crazy.

    Since Shangguan LingRan¡¯s martial arts recovered, Zi You was naturally not his opponent. Soon, Zi You was imprisoned by him in his arms again.

    But this time, Shangguan LingRan did not tease her or called her stupid. Instead, he angrily retorted, ¡°Are you a wild cat? You change faces as you wish. If I used Fire Cloud Palm or Silver Moon Hook and it was found out by my suspicious Emperor uncle, he will think that the General¡¯s Manor and Xuanyuan Sect are in collusion. Do you know how much trouble that will bring to the General¡¯s Manor? I said that you are stupid and you still don¡¯t admit it.¡±

    Zi You was struggling with all her might in the beginning. She gradually quieted down when she heard thest part. It was clear that she heard and understood Shangguan LingRan¡¯s words.

    He was right. In Great Yan, Xuanyuan Sect was a special existence.

    It was a righteous and prominent sect in Jianghu. Xuanyuan Daozhang was a person with virtue and prestige. He was as famous as Shaolin Sect¡¯s Grandmaster Mingyuan.

    At this time, Shaolin martial arts weren¡¯t very famous. Wudang Sect was not yet established. It could be imagined how powerful the living immortal Xuanyuan Daozhang who practiced to the tenth stage of Xuantian Jue was.

    The current Emperor and the previous two Emperors had invited Xuanyuan Daozhang to be the country¡¯s National Protector. However, Xuanyuan Daozhang unexpectedly refused.

    He was already a peerless entity who appeared and disappeared at will. He frequently traveled outside the country. Why would he want to be a whatever National Protector?

    The imperial government had always been afraid of Xuanyuan Sect, but Xuanyuan Sect stayed in Emei Mountain without making trouble. Moreover, soldiers had been to the mountain twice. They couldn¡¯t even see his shadow. Thus, they rid the notion of wanting to eliminate him.

    The result was that neither side bothered the other. River water did not interfere with well water. But the current Xuanwu Emperor never let down his guard against Xuanyuan Daozhang and was always wary of him. This was understandable, however.

    If such a big sect, that made the imperial government afraid, had rtions with the General¡¯s Manor, Xuanwu Emperor would probably be too afraid to sleep.

    Zi You understood Shangguan LingRan¡¯s intentions. If she said that she wasn¡¯t moved even a little bit, she would be lying.

    The situation that day was very dangerous. But to protect her and the General¡¯s Manor from being suspected and targeted by the Emperor, he used his own flesh and blood as shields rather than use his ultimate moves.

    Zi You was clearly grateful in her heart, but she faintly asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s Heartless Gongzi, that little bit of flesh wounds must be nothing to do. Then why did you stay in the General¡¯s Manor and make me treat you?¡±

    ¡°Flesh wounds?¡± Shangguan LingRan eximed in a low voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to use my internal energy, so it was all external force. Didn¡¯t you see how heavily injured I was? I was unconscious and didn¡¯t know anything. If I didn¡¯t stay at the General¡¯s Manor, then where would I go?¡±

    Zi You turned her face in anger, frustration, and bashfulness. ¡°If you were unconscious, how did you know what happened when I treated you? You scoundrel!¡±

    ¡°Hehe......¡± Shangguan LingRan suppressed hisugh. ¡°That¡¯s because I was reluctant to part with you and wanted to stay with you longer. You¡¯er, don¡¯t scold me, okay? I swear to you that I¡¯m only a scoundrel to you. Even if other women are given to me, I won¡¯t even look once at them.¡±

    ¡°You still dare to speak nonsense? I hate it the most when men swears. It¡¯s never the truth.¡± Zi You thought of that oath that Zhao HongXiang swore in her previous life and was immediately angry. Shangguan LingRan rushed to seriously say, ¡°Okay, I will prove it to you with my actions and never easily swear again.¡±

    ¡°Who wants you to prove it with your actions? You call me stupid, but I think you¡¯re stupid. Those assassins were all thrown into the waterfall by me. Even if you used your ultimate moves, they wouldn¡¯t notice. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t Weishali be exposed too?¡± Zi You pushed Shangguan LingRan away and looked at him. Her luminous eyes were more beautiful than flowers and expressed many amorous feelings.

    It was obviously a humiliated and angry expression, but it was so enchanting that Shangguan LingRan¡¯s soul was almost sucked out.

    ¡°You¡¯er......¡± Shangguan LingRan gazed dazedly at Zi You, as if he was intoxicated.

    Although Zi You was as calm as water, she had a fiery gaze and two red cheeks. That faint bit of red on her blooming white jade-like smooth skin added a lovely enchanting peach color to her face. It was very moving, like lovely winter scenery.

    She angrily moved her smoky and delicate eyebrows. Her thick, butterfly eyshes fluttered. A pair of luminous fiery eyes red at him.

    That beautiful face that was imprinted in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s mind suddenly became vivid.

    He felt that that blush on her white skin was white like Emei Mountain¡¯s winter snow. When it was sunset, it was so beautiful that it would confuse people¡¯s minds.

    He moved forwards in infatuation. Zi You was afraid that she would return to the embarrassing position from before and hurried to say, ¡°You said that you wanted to find Shangguan Lingluo to take revenge. What do you want to do? Can you take me with you? After all, her target is me. You were dragged down by me. This vengeance should be sought by me. She seems to be more reserved now. She doesn¡¯t even leave the Pce recently. We can¡¯t go to the Pce to kill her, right?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan heard that Zi You used ¡°we¡± to refer to him and her. He was very happy. His tone of voice was gentle and domineering. ¡°She dared to touch my woman. How can I let her off? Even if she runs to the ends of the earth, I will still drag her out. You¡¯er, I don¡¯t want you to make a move. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know certain things.¡±

    The imperial family had some very dirty matters. He didn¡¯t want Zi You to glimpse the darkness at such a young age.

    However, Zi You was more anxious to understand after hearing his words.

    Especially that ¡°He is Taizi¡¯s person¡± made the sensitive Zi You feel something unusual.

    If Zhao HongXiang was secretly colluding with Taizi, did Duke Yongnan know? Was Duke Yongnan also on Taizi¡¯s side?

    Then Zhao HongXiang and Duke Yongnan were so desperate to marry Zi You because they wanted to pull her grandfather into Taizi¡¯s camp?

    Did her grandfather and uncle dying in her previous life have anything to with them?

 Chapter 124 Seeing an Erotic Show at Taiziâ€™s [2]

    <h4>Chapter 124 Seeing an Erotic Show at Taizi¡¯s [2]</h4>

    In her previous life, she was bullied and humiliated by Zhao HongXiang and Yu Lanxuan to such a state, but Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping still treated them like guests. Then, was there any collusion among them?

    For a moment, Zi You had many questions in her mind. She said to Shangguan LingRan, ¡°I cannot stay out of this matter. Like you said, Zhao HongXiang and Shangguan Lingluo are Taizi¡¯s people. But Shangguan Lingluo wants to kill me and Zhao HongXiang wants to marry me. Isn¡¯t this contradictory? Shangguan Lingluo should get along very well with me if she wants to pull my grandfather to Taizi¡¯s camp, but why does she make things difficult for me? Or does Taizi want to attack the problem from two sides? If he can¡¯t rope in the General¡¯s Manor, then he would eliminate us?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally learned some intelligence from your husband, me, and know how to ponder.¡± Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You and smiled devilishly charmingly. Even if Zi You was not moved by male beauty, her heart skipped a beat.

    Zi You hurriedly recovered her senses. ¡°I¡¯m speaking about serious matters with you. Can you not talk to me like that? Shangguan LingRan, if you keep being like this, I will never pay attention to you again!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan not only did not get angry, but smiled deeper. ¡°Do you dare to leave the fu with me and go see an erotic show?¡±

    Zi You angrily sent a kick over. ¡°Scram! I will never......¡±

    Her words weren¡¯t finished, but her feetnded in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hands.

    Since it was the end of autumn and closer to winter, Zi You was wearing a pair of white satin bamboo-embroidered brocade boots.

    But even wearing her boots, her exquisite jade-like foot in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand was not as big as his palm.

    Shangguan LingRan eximed, ¡°Howe you women¡¯s feet are so small?¡±

    Zi You was very bashful and reprimanded, ¡°Lecher! Hurry up and let go. Don¡¯t use that hand that touched who-knows-how-many women to touch me!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was obviously angry to hear her say that. The smile on his face became particrly cold.

    He contemptuously said, ¡°Those dirty women. Don¡¯t talk about their feet, but even a trace of their clothing, this Shizi Ye is too disgusted to even touch.¡±

    Then he smiled and said, ¡°From You¡¯er¡¯s words, it sounds like you¡¯re jealous. Haha...... Ye is very happy. However, You¡¯er can rest assured. Other than you, Ye thinks all other women are unclean. Let¡¯s go. Ye will take you to see a show.¡±

    He reached around Zi You¡¯s waist, wrapped her in his sable cloak, and flew out.

    Zi You also understood this person¡¯s character now. He was someone who didn¡¯t take things seriously.

    She couldn¡¯t beat him or win over him with words. Her skin was also not as thick as his. She thought about it and didn¡¯t say anything and went with him.

    But she wasn¡¯t worried. Her intuition told her that this fellow wouldn¡¯t harm her.

    Zi You did not expect, however, that the ce Shangguan LingRan brought her to was Taizi¡¯s living quarters, the Eastern Pce.

    Shangguan LingRan obviously came here often. While they were flying on rooftops, he pointed things out to her. ¡°That¡¯s Taizifei¡¯s courtyard. That¡¯s Taizi Cefei Nee An¡¯s courtyard. The biggest ce in the middle is Taizi¡¯s usual ce for rest. It¡¯s also the most dangerous. There are at least three secret guards standing watch. There are more than ten highly-skilled experts among the guards.¡±

    Zi You quietly interrupted him. ¡°Can it be that the show you spoke of is in Taizi¡¯s courtyard? Since you know there are that many experts, how can we not be discovered by the experts and see an exciting...... show?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s nice-looking eyes were as bright as stars under the moonlight. He jokingly smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t you have hallucinogen? Use it on them and we can see an erotic show.¡±

    Zi You viciously red at him. ¡°So you brought me here to help you out.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan shrugged shamelessly. ¡°I provide the entertainment and expended effort to bring you here. You have to do at least a little bit, right?¡±

    ¡°Did I tell you to bring me here?¡± Zi You roared quietly.

    She discovered that this Shangguan LingRan had the ability to make her hop with rage.

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head in grievance. He pouted his nice-looking lips and acted spoiled. ¡°I want to take you here and be with you for longer. I don¡¯t know if I can even see you if you go to the mountains.¡±

    Zi You rolled her eyes and asked unpleasantly, ¡°Then how did you take care of them when you came to watch the show before? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve never been here before. I can tell that you¡¯re familiar with the road; even more familiar than your own house.¡±

    ¡°Killed them,¡± Shangguan LingRan replied very simply. ¡°I don¡¯t have powerful hallucinogens like you, so I could only kill them. Although I would get bruised, I still took care of them. Why don¡¯t you wait for me here? I¡¯ll take care of them. Then I will take you to see the show.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was going to move, but was stopped by Zi You. If he really got injured, she would have to treat him, so why bother?

    Although he might not have been necessarily telling the truth, she knew that secret guards¡¯ martial arts truly were not ordinary.

    She didn¡¯t know why, but she didn¡¯t want him to get injured.

    Zi You handed a porcin bottle and bamboo tube to Shangguan LingRan. She softly said, ¡°It will take effect within fifty meters. Be careful that you don¡¯t breathe it into your lungs. I can¡¯t move you if you¡¯re unconscious.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan smiled more brilliantly than fireworks. He flew out like a nightingale.

    After a while, he came back pping his hands. He said excitedly, ¡°What hallucinogen is so powerful? I didn¡¯t even count to ten before they all fell down. Give me the rest of it. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°Wait a moment. Wait for the scent to disperse. Otherwise, it will still affect us.¡±

    She unceremoniously stuck out her hand. ¡°Give me the hallucinogen.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked resentfully at Zi You. ¡°You have the heart to see me being a mass of bruises every time?¡±

    Zi You was not the slightest bit moved. She ridiculed, ¡°You won¡¯t get hurt if you don¡¯te here to watch the show.¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t watch the show, then I wouldn¡¯t have known that you were getting attacked in the mountainst time.¡± Shangguan LingRan huffily nced at her.

    Only his eyes were better-looking than a woman¡¯s. This nce made him seem more devilishly charming and enchanting.

    Zi You secretly scolded: Evildoer! How can a man be more pretty and flirtatious than a woman? No wonder those women still desperately want to marry him even if they know that he¡¯s a dandy.

    Zi You no longer insisted on taking that porcin bottle back. She knew that Shangguan LingRan wouldn¡¯t be willing to stay away from here. So why should she waste time with him?

    It was just a bottle of hallucinogen. It was a small matter to her.

    She also especially did not want to offend this pestilence god right now. Taizi and Third Wangzi were already at odds with her. If she also offended this wicked Heartless Gongzi, she wouldn¡¯t be able to cope.

    ¡°We can go down now,¡± Zi You changed the topic.

    Shangguan LingRan saw that she no longer insisted on having that bottle back and revealed a smile that could confuse all living beings. He grabbed her waist and flew to another rooftop.

    ¡°Be careful you don¡¯t slide down.¡± Shangguan LingRan put Zi You down and whispered a caution.

    He then bent down and removed three brick tiles from the roof. He took a look and beckoned Zi You over. ¡°Come over and see.¡±

    Zi You was light as a swan as she glided over to Shangguan LingRan. She bent down and looked through the hole in the roof......

    This look made her extremely angry.

    It turned out that this was Taizi¡¯s living quarters. He was pressing a woman down and making those shameless movements.

    This lecher really had unique taste. He risked his life just to see how Taizi fooled around with his woman. When he said that he was taking her to see an erotic show, she thought that he was ying with her. She didn¡¯t think that he was for real.

    Zi You was so angry that she hated she couldn¡¯t kick this pervert to death. But she was afraid that if she kicked him down, that would attract Taizi fu¡¯s other guards.

    Thus, she twisted Shangguan LingRan¡¯s arm hard. She scolded, ¡°You lecher! You shameless perverted......¡±

    [Guess why Shangguan LingRan took Zi You to see an erotic show!]

    She hadn¡¯t finished telling him off, but her mouth was covered by Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Keep your voice down. The guards are unconscious, but there is a roomful of watchdogs in the room. You¡¯ll see whether I¡¯m perverted or Taizi is perverted.¡±

    Zi You pped Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand away and said huffily, ¡°The imperial family is nothing good!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan did not get angry and even nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. There are no good people in the imperial family. The good people are dead.¡±

    After he finished speaking these words, Shangguan LingRan sat down. His expression became very cold and lonely.

    Zi You thought of his difficulties and couldn¡¯t bear to scold him anymore. But she also did not want tofort him.

    Whether Shangguan LingRan¡¯s feelings for her were true or false, she didn¡¯t want to respond. So, it was better not to give him hope.

    Thus, for some time, one person was standing and one person was sitting in a strange silence.

    After a few minutes, it was Shangguan LingRan who broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯re such a cruel yatou! I¡¯m so sad and you don¡¯t evenfort me.¡±

    Zi You looked coldly at him. ¡°No. There are countless close female confidants around Shizi Ye. Go find them.¡±

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Shangguan LingRan asked excitedly. ¡°If you tell me that you¡¯re jealous, I will ignore them right away.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Zi You¡¯s expression was still cold. ¡°Shangguan LingRan, I came with you to see a show tonight because we have amon enemy: Taizi. I want to know why on one hand, he¡¯s ruining my reputation to force me to marry him, but on the other hand, sends Shangguan Lingluo to kill me. That¡¯s why I came here with you. It doesn¡¯t mean that I have any other interest in you. You better figure it out. It¡¯s good if you¡¯re willing to cooperate, but I won¡¯t force it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart pained. He wanted to argue with her, but knew that this was not the appropriate time or ce to explore their feelings.

 Chapter 125 Exposing the Truth and Becoming Allies

    <h4>Chapter 125 Exposing the Truth and Bing Allies</h4>

    He could only forcefully suppress the unhappiness in his heart. He looked down to see that Taizi¡¯s piston movements did not finish yet.

    He beckoned to Zi You. ¡°Come see who the woman is.¡±

    Zi You walked over and looked closely. She widened her eyes in disbelief.

    She never thought that the woman who was entangled with Taizi was Shangguan Lingluo.

    Heavens! The brother and sister were actually ***! No wonder Shangguan LingRan wanted toe here. It seemed that Shangguan LingRan found out about the two¡¯s improper rtions already. [TL Note: It said *** in the raws.]

    ¡°They¡¯re so shameless!¡± Zi You viciously cursed. She didn¡¯t have a good impression of Taizi in the first ce. Now, she found him even more disgraceful.

    He portrayed a sanctimonious image on the outside, but was so dirty on the inside.

    No wonder that little spirit mouse Xiaohui came back and told her, ¡°Taizi and Fourth Gongzhu are in a lovers¡¯ rtionship.¡±

    She thought that she misheard and didn¡¯t understand what Xiaohui said.

    Now it seemed that Xiaohui had discovered the two people¡¯s adultery, but she didn¡¯t dare to think it.

    Brother and sister. Who would have thought that they would be so shameless?

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You¡¯s disgusted expression and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°I told you that the imperial family is very dirty. You should be mentally prepared.¡±

    Zi You did not speak and used qinggong to return back to the General¡¯s Manor.

    Shangguan LingRan followed her back. Zi You did not drive him away, but nodded. ¡°Sit. I think you took me to see such a disgusting show not just to see the show, right? Say it. What are you going to do and what do you want me to do?¡±

    [How many of you saw thating? An intuitive reader got it right!]

    Shangguan LingRan saw that she had guessed his intentions and was no longer long-winded. He went straight to the point, ¡°I originally thought that husband and wife would be stronger than gold together. But you rejected me time and time again. Fine. Let¡¯s leave the rtionship aside. Let¡¯s talk about cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Why should I cooperate with you?¡± Zi You coldly asked.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You¡¯s cold and deep-as-a-spring eyes. He really couldn¡¯t understand why this little yatou was more heartless than he was.

    ¡°Because we havemon enemies: Shangguan Lingluo and Taizi.¡± Shangguan LingRan seemed to know that if he didn¡¯t speak the truth, he would never get close to Zi You.

    So, he decided to tell the truth. ¡°The current Emperor is suspicious, harsh, and selfish. He is someone who will do anything for his imperial power. Taizi and Third Wangzi are the same kind of people as him. However, they are destined to be enemies. Third Wangzi also wants the throne. As a result, they and the Emperor want to seize military power. My father desperately tries to prove his loyalty to the Emperor, but the Emperor still does not trust him. Can you guarantee that the Emperor has 100% faith in Old General Mu? To tell you the truth, I already had imperial grandmother test the Emperor. I wanted him to marry you to me as Zhengfei, but he refused. Guess why.¡±

    Zi You thought of her previous life when her grandfather hurriedly married her to Zhao HongXiang. A light suddenly shed in her mind. She asked, ¡°Could it be that the Emperor wants to bring me into the Pce and make me his consort?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan nodded solemnly. ¡°The Emperor is only forty years old this year. He is naturally afraid that his Taizi and other adult sons covet his throne. It is very important to secure the throne, but it is even more important to secure military power. It can be said that the Emperor controls all of the military power now, so why is he still suspicious? No one will believe it. My father is his biological brother, but he still sent people to monitor him and all means to prevent me from bing An Wang¡¯s sessor. He even wants to take my life. Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°That is because of Daoist priest Tianxuan¡¯s prophecy: ¡®I have observed the night sky. The Sirius star is descending. The Emperor¡¯s empire will change masters within forty years. This person is also from the imperial family. I cannot calcte who he is. But I know that he is born in April and the year of the dragon, with two moles on the forehead.¡¯ For the sake of such a vague prophecy, many children born in April of the year of the dragon died. I¡¯m afraid even the Emperor is unclear now. Can such a cruel, cold-hearted, and small-minded person fully trust your grandfather? Don¡¯t forget how honest and candid your grandfather is. He had once refused a woman the Emperor sent to him. He once argued with the Emperor in the throne room to pacify the Nanjiang rebellion. The Emperor does not have the proper talent to rece your grandfather. That¡¯s why he wants you to enter the Pce, so he can control your grandfather.

    ¡°But once he has a general who can control the Mu family¡¯s army, do you think he will leave your grandfather alive? ¡®Meritorious achievement that eclipses the master¡¯ refers to people like my father and your grandfather whom the Emperor wants to remove and quickly. But facing such a cold-hearted and cynical brother, my father not only didn¡¯t get angry or counterattack, but conversely, blindly please him. For the incapable rule to rest assured, he not only treats the Shu sons that his cefeis gave birthed to like ancestors. He even gives his Di son, me, over to the incapable ruler as a hostage. If it wasn¡¯t for my maternal grandmother, I would have died many times.¡±

    At this point, Shangguan LingRan might have been thinking of the secret harm that the Emperor had done to him. His phoenix eyes turned cold and sharp. ¡°You¡¯er, the Emperor pays special attention to your grandfather right now because he wants to use your grandfather to suppress my father and not because he truly trusts your grandfather. He has never believed in anyone in his whole life, including his Muhou, the Empress Dowager, my imperial grandmother. Even if my imperial grandmother helped him so much and turned me into a dandy. She even tolerated him harming me again and again, but the incapable ruler still does not trust her. This is our current Emperor. You¡¯er, you don¡¯t have to believe me and be loyal to him, but you have to guard against him.

    ¡°My grandfather and Mufei had thought about us marrying, but I know that I cannot. That¡¯s because it will bring An Wang fu and the General¡¯s Manor a cmity. This is why I didn¡¯t insist on imperial grandmother bestowing a marriage. When Taizi wanted to ask for your hand, I secretly leaked the news to Third Wangzi. Then I asked the Emperor for your hand in marriage along with him to prevent Taizi from seeding. But I did not expect that Taizi and Third Wangzi are so despicable to ruin your reputation to force you to marry them.¡±

    ¡°So, I desperately tried to recover my martial arts these few days and sent people to monitor them because I want to get back at them for you. You¡¯er, believe me. I am sincere to you. I, Shangguan LingRan, am not a good person. But no matter who I hurt, I will not hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Then why were you against me when you were in my female medical team?¡± Zi You clearly knew that Shangguan LingRan wanted to send away the Emperor¡¯s spies for her, but still deliberately asked him.

    Shangguan LingRan looked devilishly at Zi You. He said resentfully, ¡°You little thing without a conscience! I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re really stupid and can¡¯t tell that I got rid of those watchdogs for you. Don¡¯t you appreciate me helping you out again and again?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate, okay?¡± Zi You looked unwillingly at Shangguan LingRan¡¯s evildoer appearance that could confuse all living beings. She turned her head away and yed with her nts. ¡°It was only twice.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Shangguan LingRan held up two slender fingers and shouted. ¡°Twice? You really have no conscience. If I didn¡¯t take you away from Zhao HongXiang¡¯s study, your reputation would have been ruined. But hatefully, you still drugged me. The second time, you wanted to use your spiritual power to loosen Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s waistband to embarrass her. If I didn¡¯t help you then, your spiritual power wouldn¡¯t have been enough to loosen her waistband that was wrapped twice around.

    ¡°The third time, in order to get rid of the Emperor¡¯s watchdogs, I have to spend money to buy them drinks. The fourth time, I begged the Empress Dowager to persuade the Emperor to let you form the female medical team. The fifth time, I saved your life and in order to not let......¡±

    ¡°In order to not let the Emperor find out that Old General Mu and Heartless Gongzi were close, you would rather be injured than expose your legendary martial arts. I remember. So, starting today, we are allies so we can protect ourselves and our loved ones and deal with those enemies who want to kill us.¡±

    Zi You did not wait for Shangguan LingRan to finish and interrupted him. She solemnly ced a few bottles of drugs and a piece of paper in his hands. ¡°These are several kinds of drugs that I¡¯ve created. Some are life-saving and some are lethal. There are other uses that I¡¯ve written down on this piece of paper. Burn it after you remember it. Do not let it fall into other people¡¯s hands. Now, I want to introduce you to two of myrades.¡±

    At this point, as if she was conjuring, Zi You pulled an emerald green bamboo flute the length of a palm out and blew twice into it.

    Soon, a poisonous snake the length of a chopstick and a snow-white little mouse arrived before her.

    Zi You picked up the little snake and little mouse and pointed to Shangguan LingRan. She said to the two little spirit pets, ¡°Xiaoqing, Xiaoyu, starting today, follow him and listen to hismands.¡±

    The poisonous snake and little white mouse were reluctant to leave Zi You¡¯s hand for a long time. Then they finally jumped onto Shangguan LingRan¡¯s body.

    Shangguan LingRan immediately said to Zi You, ¡°I don¡¯t need them. Have them stay by you and protect you. If I¡¯m not besides you, I can also rest assured. I also want to leave two secret guards for you. My secret guards have been with me since young. They are especially loyal and have experienced the vicissitudes of life.¡±

    ¡°You keep them. I can¡¯t use them.¡± Zi You¡¯s refusal was much colder than Shangguan LingRan¡¯s.

    There wasn¡¯t a hint of gratitude in it. It even contained hints of reproach, as if Shangguan LingRan was doing something unnecessary.

    The following words were emotionless. ¡°Xiaoqing and Xiaoyu are used to exchange messages between us. If you don¡¯t want them, I certainly will not force you. As for me, I am not weak to the point that I need an ally to protect me. Tell me. How are you going to deal with Shangguan Lingluo, Taizi, and Third Wangzi?¡±

 Chapter 126 Second Wangzi Seeks Treatment [1]

    <h4>Chapter 126 Second Wangzi Seeks Treatment [1]</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan saw that Zi You¡¯s face sunk again and his heart was bitter.

    He thought it over. At least being allies was better than her ignoring him like in the beginning.

    As long as she did not reject him and allowed him to see her every now and then, he had the confidence and determination to open her heart.

    Thus, he no longer argued with her. It was more important to find ways to deal with theirmon enemies right now.

    Since it was like this, Shangguan LingRan discarded his normalzy and devilishly charming appearance and said seriously, ¡°Taizi is very vignt. He was named Taizi since the age of six. He already has his own power. That¡¯s why the Emperor has started to favor Third Wangzi, so Third Wangzi canpete with Taizi. Taizi has four secret guards with very high martial arts around him. They never leave Taizi¡¯s side, so it¡¯s very difficult to touch him.

    ¡°Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s Mufei has passed away. She and her twin brother Fourth Wangzi were brought up by the Empress and belong to Taizi¡¯s faction. That is a certainty. It can be said that whatever she and her brother have today are given to them by the Empress and Taizi. But the Empress absolutely does not know about the affair between Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo. Otherwise, the Empress will be the first person who won¡¯t let Shangguan Lingluo off. The Empress is focused on cultivating Taizi and will not allow any stain on him to affect his position.

    ¡°As for Third Wangzi, due to the Emperor¡¯s intentional or unintentional indulgence and value these past two years, his Mufei Xian Fei and her father Marquis Weiwu had begun to garner support for him amongst officials. So, Third Wangzi seems to be harmonious with Taizi on the surface, but they attack each other behind the scenes and hate that couldn¡¯t kill each other.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s like this?¡± Zi You lowered her head in thought for a while. A gorgeous and resplendent smile then appeared on her face, like the pretty and dazzling red mandara flowers on the table. ¡°That¡¯s easy then. We don¡¯t have to do anything. As long as we let Third Wangzi know about Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s affair, Shangguan Lingluo will certainly die.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s beautiful smile made Shangguan LingRan¡¯s breath stifle. When he finished listening to her n, he revealed a wickedly charming smile. ¡°Our hearts really linked since we have the same idea.¡±

    This scoundrel was doing it again. Zi You angrily looked at Shangguan LingRan. She pondered for a while and said, ¡°I think that we shouldn¡¯t let Third Wangzi know about it yet. Otherwise, if Third Wangzi makes it public, Taizi will be abolished and no one will suppress Third Wangzi. If Third Wangzi is the only one with power, the first thing he will do is to seize military power. Let¡¯s leave Taizi to make trouble for him and have them fight each other, so that they will have no time to deal with us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make the matter known to the Empress. Once she finds out about her son and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s scandal, she will certainly not let Shangguan Lingluo hinder Taizi¡¯s session to the throne. As a result, Taizi and Fourth Wangzi will certainly hate the Empress. As long as there is a chink, with a little bit of stirring up, the chink will gradually berger. As time pass by, it will be a bottomless trench. This is a very good thing for us. But this way lets Shangguan Lingluo off too cheaply. Her reputation should be destroyed and then she should be sent to hell. But like that, we cannot let the Empress know. Don¡¯t be anxious. I have to think hard about it.¡±

    Zi You was full of intelligence as she spoke. Her deep purple eyes sparkled vividly and brighter than gems.

    Shangguan LingRan stared at her and felt that a light was shing in her beautiful eyes, like the serenity of well water. They were also like constantly changing clouds. He was shocked with one nce at them.

    Zi You was deep in thought and did not pay attention to where Shangguan LingRan was. She was muttering to herself, ¡°How to make Shangguan Lingluo die an ugly death?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan did not answer her, so she looked up. She then discovered that Shangguan LingRan¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t quite right.

    She angrily sent her leg over and stomped on his foot. ¡°Lecher!¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Shangguan LingRan was in pain. He held his foot as he shouted, ¡°Your husband is in pain!¡±

    His face was full of resentment and he looked aggrieved at Zi You toin. ¡°You can¡¯t me your husband. Who let it be that my wife is so beautiful?¡±

    Zi You saw that he had reverted back to his wicked charm and coldly said, ¡°Shangguan LingRan, be a little more serious. If you speak any more nonsense, we don¡¯t need to cooperate anymore.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan became more aggrieved as he looked at her. ¡°I am very serious right now. You¡¯er, I call you ugly, but you don¡¯t like hearing it. I say that you are pretty and they are your husband¡¯s sincere words. They can¡¯t be more real. Why aren¡¯t you happy? Do you want to make things difficult for your husband?¡±

    ¡°Whose husband are you?¡± Zi You angrily asked. ¡°I asked you how we are going to let the Empress know about Taizi¡¯s scandal. Why are you spouting nonsense?¡±

    ¡°Hehe......¡± Shangguan LingRanughed. ¡°So my wife is ming your husband, me, for not listening to you. That¡¯s easy then. Your husband will do whatever you say. You want Shangguan Lingluo to die miserably, right? Don¡¯t worry, wife. Leave it to your husband to take care of things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m toozy to bother with you.¡± Zi You knew that he was probably going to be like this now, so she didn¡¯t pay any more attention to him. She issued an eviction notice, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. I want to sleep. Scram out of my sight!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan walked in grievance towards the door.

    Zi You suppressed that strong feeling of not being about to bear it in her heart. She turned away and didn¡¯t pay attention to him.

    At that time, Shangguan LingRan suddenly flew over to her and kissed her face.

    As he ran away, he said, ¡°Wife, your husband is going to do what you told him to do now. Take care of yourself. Remember to think of and dream about me.¡±

    Zi You froze and two spots of red appeared on her face.

    She wanted to tell him to be careful too, but she calmed down and didn¡¯t say anything.

    The next day, after Zi You finished her ss with the female medical team and returned to the fu, she saw Nee Liue over.

    Something must be wrong. Otherwise, Nee Liu would note over to disturb her as soon as she finished sses.

    Zi You quickly let Nee Liu into the hall and quietly asked, ¡°Is something wrong, Aunt?¡±

    Nee Liu dismissed the servants and whispered in reply. ¡°The Pce¡¯s De Fei sent someone here. He said that she wants to see you, so she summoned you into the Pce.¡±

    De Fei? Second Wangzi immediately appeared in Zi You¡¯s mind. That lonely and indifferent handsome young man in a wheelchair.

    Then she thought about how her godly medical skills were gossiped about after she cured Zhao HongXiang¡¯s leg. She immediately understood why De Fei wanted her to go to the Pce.

    Thus, she was calm as she asked, ¡°Where is the person?¡±

    ¡°Your uncle is apanying him in the drawing room.¡± Nee Liu looked somewhat worriedly at Zi You. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask your uncle to send him away? Lao TaiYe and your uncle are a bit worried about you going the Pce.¡±

    Zi You smiledfortingly at Nee Liu. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt. Nothing will happen. I will tidy up and immediately go meet him.¡±

    She called Shiyun in and said, ¡°Make a more dignified hairstyle for me. I¡¯m going to the Pce immediately.¡±

    Shiyun immediately asked for Zi You¡¯s opinion. ¡°Xiaojie, is a Baihua bun okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zi You nodded.

    Zi You¡¯s four first-rank maidservants had their own specialties. Shiyun knew about makeup, hairstyles, embroidery, and clothing. Moreover, she was calm and careful. She was the oldest among Zi You¡¯s four first-rank maidservants and the one whom Zi You trusted the most. She managed Zi You¡¯s jewelry, clothing, and makeup.

    Moyun knew ounting and managed Zi You¡¯s small coffer and finances. She was also fourteen years old, but younger than Shiyun by four months.

    Haiyun was the third oldest. She was bright, lively, warm, and generous. She was the easiest to get along with, so she was sent by Zi You to gather information from all of Mu YingRui¡¯s concubines. She was very beautiful, just like Shiyun.

    The youngest Shuiyun was an excellent cook with a foundation in medicine. She was also very clever. Zi You was cultivating her into a dietician.

    The four maidservants were all following Zi You in learning medicine and martial arts. They were very close to her. It could be said that they were her sisters andrades.

    The skillful Shiyun quickly helped Zi Youb her hair into a Great Yan unmarried female¡¯s popr Baihua bun.

    Zi You looked and added some light makeup. She wore a gold-iid red jewel hairpin. A red ruby drop hung between Zi You¡¯s delicate and smoky eyebrows. It was really gorgeous and eye-catching against her white and smooth skin.

    She put on an elegant white silk brocade dress, a delicate and cute in-embroidered coat, and a red damask cloak with a fox fur cor that set off her beautiful face even more.

    The person who came was De Fei¡¯s most trusted confidant, Eunuch Dong.

    Once he saw Zi You, who was cold, but delicate, even though he was used to seeing all kinds of beauties in the Pce, his eyes were stunned.

    He secretly praised, ¡®Very beautiful! If she can marry the very handsome Second Wangzi, how fitting will it be! Unfortunately, Second Wangzi is crippled. Who knows if Old General Mu will like him.¡¯

    Zi You didn¡¯t feel that it was strange to see Eunuch Dong¡¯s amazed face.

    She walked over and curtsied. She calmly and naturally said, ¡°Chennu pays respects to Eunuch Dong.¡±

    Eunuch Dong was an attendant. Technically, Zi You did not need to perform any greetings to him. But considering that he was a trusted confidant of De Fei¡¯s, she thought that it was better if she could win him over rather than offending him.

    Zi You¡¯s curtsy made Eunuch Dong¡¯s favorable impression of her increase some more.

    He felt that it was remarkable that a Di daughter of a general who had military power didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of arrogance.

    Eunuch Dong immediately said pleasantly, ¡°Nucai [literally: ¡°this (male) ve¡±] pays respects to Mu Xiaojie. Would Mu Xiaojiee with Nucai to the Pce to see De Fei?¡±

    Zi You performed a slight greeting again. ¡°Please show the way.¡±

    Zi You then smiledfortingly at the worried Old General Mu. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m going to the Pce now. When I return, I will make a steamed dish for you.¡±

 Chapter 127 Second Wangzi Seeks Treatment [2]

    <h4>Chapter 127 Second Wangzi Seeks Treatment [2]</h4>

    Old General Mu¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he looked at Eunuch Dong. His voice held a warning. ¡°Eunuch Dong, I¡¯m handing my granddaughter in one piece over to you. You must return her in one piece.¡±

    Eunuch Dong was nervous. He immediately bowed and replied, ¡°Please rest assured, Old General. Nucai will send Mu Xiaojie back safe and sound.¡±

    Zi you curtsied deeply to her grandfather. She calmly got on the horse carriage with a slight smile and went towards the Pce.

    At De Fei¡¯s Lianyun Pce, Zi You saw the Emperor¡¯s former favored consort.

    She was wearing a blue phoenix and cloud-embroidered pce attire. Her hair was in a Lingyun bun with an eight-tailed phoenix hairpin. She had on emerald green iid earrings and a dragon and phoenix bracelet.

    She had a pair of long and thin phoenix eyes with dark and inscrutable pupils. The shallow crow¡¯s feet at the corners of her eyes did not affect her beauty at all. Instead, it added a bit of mature charm to her.

    As Zi You was observing De Fei, De Fei was observing her. The little guniang in front of her was eleven or twelve years old. She had smoky eyebrows, pink lotus lips, tender skin, and beautiful eyes. Her elegance had a touch of gorgeousness. She was not only beautiful, but her temperament was noble and dignified. She was elegant and calm. Her actions were fluid and graceful. She was more charming and moving than the gongzhus in the Pce.

    The most beautiful were her eyes. They were deep like a clear spring and crystal clear like obsidian, shing intelligence and confidence.

    Her voice was also very pleasant, like a yellow warbler out of a valley. ¡°Chennu pays respects to consort. Wishing consort thousands of good fortunes.¡±

    De Fei lightly helped her up and smiled as she said, ¡°You really are a beautiful and clever yatou. No wonder my son praises Mu Xiaojie for having a good character.¡±

    Zi You smiled modestly. Her smile was elegant and stunning like a thousand-year-old snow lotus blooming. ¡°Consort is over-praising. Consort is the epitome of a phoenix.¡±

    De Fei lightly smiled. ¡°I heard Second Wangzi said that your painting can attract butterflies and your zither-ying can attract birds. I was very curious so I always wanted to see what kind of talented and beautiful guniang has this ability. Now that I have seen you today, I believe in Second Wangzi¡¯s words. Only someone like guniang with an immortal aura can have such ability.¡±

    ¡°How? It¡¯s just some clever trick that can¡¯t be seen in public.¡± Zi You¡¯s smile was faint. She was ufortable facing De Fei¡¯s cordialness. She couldn¡¯t help but be ck belly. I don¡¯t think you want to see me because you¡¯re curious! Please just say what you want to say. Don¡¯t tter me like that. So nauseating.

    De Fei saw that Zi You was not meek or arrogant, with a cold and indifferent expression. She couldn¡¯t help but be secretly surprised. At the least, she was a consort of the Emperor. If average little guniangs heard such praise from her, they would becent and proud. But the slightest bit of joy could not be seen on this little yatou¡¯s face. Her pair of eyes was as dark as spring water and didn¡¯t show joy or anger. One didn¡¯t know what she was thinking about.

    De Fei was at least the favored consort of the Emperor back then. Although she had lost favor, she was not stepped on by those snobbish attendants in the Pce or her love rivals. It could be seen that she was not a simple character.

    Her heart was shocked, but her face didn¡¯t reflect a trace of it. She amiably pulled Zi You to sit next to her. She pushed all sorts of pastries on the table towards Zi You. She smiled as she said, ¡°Have a taste. I made these myself. This Lianyun Pce is now like a Cold Pce. I have nothing to do so I¡¯m just passing the time. Don¡¯t mind it.¡±

    Although she was smiling, her words contained loneliness and destion. Zi You was immediately reminded of her bitter and suffering life when she married into Duke Yongnan fu in her previous life.

    She gently looked around and shook her head in her heart. She secretly sighed that a phoenix that lost its feathers really couldn¡¯tpare to a chicken!

    This De Fei used to control the whole harem, but now look at the decorations in her Pce. The curtains had faded and lost their color. It could be seen how difficult her days were.

    If this was before, Zi You would be sympathetic seeing such a situation and such a person. But she was like water without even a ripple now.

    However, in order to incite De Fei¡¯s hatred towards the Empress and Taizi, Zi You exposed a puzzled expression. ¡°Consort, you¡¯re so beautiful and gave birth to Second Wangzi, who has a dragon-like character, so you should enjoy full respect. Chennu doesn¡¯t understand why you would say such things?¡±

    De Fei was originally testing Zi You to see if she would be sympathetic to her. If she sympathized with her, then De Fei would immediately tell her about her tragic experience of gradually falling out of favor since Second Wangzi¡¯s injury. Then she would ask Zi You to treat Second Wangzi¡¯s legs.

    But Zi You¡¯s eyes held no sympathy or pity and only puzzlement. Her face looked exactly the same as when De Fei first saw her.

    A twelve-year-old little yatou should be ignorant and na?ve. She seemed to be expressing that. However, De Fei still felt that this cold and indifferent little yatou in front of her was not so simple.

    Of course, De Fei was there to ask for a favor, so she could not speak her doubts out loud. She shook her head in sorrow. ¡°Yes, if Second Wangzi did not get injured, my life will not be like this now. But Second Wangzi isme now. He is a mockery in the Emperor¡¯s eyes. Ame wangzi is a shame...... Ordinary people might show more care because their child has a disability, but the vital thing in the imperial family is face. Second Wangzi makes the Emperor lose face. Even his Mufei, me, is looked down on.¡±

    De Fei burst into tears. All the attendants in the Pce had been sent away by De Fei. Otherwise, she would never say such words.

    De Fei expressed her suppressed grievances and used sincere words in order to make Zi You empathize and agree to treat Second Wangzi.

    It must be known that men and women should maintain distance. To treat Duke Yongnan Shizi, Zi You got engaged to him. How would she block other people¡¯s mouths if she treated Second Wangzi now?

    Seeing De Fei crying like pear blossoms in the rain, Zi You thought of that lonely figure of Second Wangzi sitting in his wheelchair. She finally sighed and persuaded, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, consort. You know that walls have ears. Chennu is young and doesn¡¯t know what will happen if the Emperor finds out about your words and tears. Moreover, consort trusts Chennu that Chennu will not repeat your words to others?¡±

    De Fei was shocked again! She really did not understand this little yatou.

    She was heartless and ignorant, but knew how to remind her that walls have ears. She was kind and caring, but De Fei had cried for so long and the little yatou had not shed any tears ofpassion.

    De Fei could not tell what kind of person Zi You was. She wanted to ask her to treat her son¡¯s legs, but was afraid that she would use the excuse of ¡°men and women should maintain distance¡± to refuse.

    However, she wouldn¡¯t give up unless she tried. She finally decided and wiped her tears off. She sounded out, ¡°I think that Mu Xiaojie is a good person. To treat Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s leg, you even got engaged to him. I think that you aren¡¯t someone who will watch someone suffer and stand by doing nothing.¡±

    Good person? Zi You lightly smiled. That was in her previous life. She would never be that kind of person in this lifetime. She had only two purposes now. One was to seek vengeance and one was to protect her loved ones from harm. Everything else had nothing to do with her.

    However, she really wanted to see if this Second Wangzi was worthy of being saved by her. After all, if his legs were cured, there would be another person to keep Taizi and Third Wangzi in check. The more chaotic the imperial family was, the safer her grandfather would be.

    Zi You thought of this and quietly said, ¡°Chennu is not some good person. Treating Duke Yongnan Shizi and getting engaged to him are grandfather and mother¡¯s intentions. Chennu is only following elders¡¯ decision and should not be praised by consort.¡±

    De Fei was startled. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Oh? Why? If Shizi¡¯s leg is not cured, he will beme. Why did Old General and your mother do that? Aren¡¯t they afraid of ruining your life?¡±

    De Fei did not understand. Zi You¡¯s mother was her stepmother. There was nothing strange about what she did. How many stepmothers really thought on behalf of the children of her husband and his previous wife¡¯s? But Old General Mu¡¯s actions were a surprise. She heard that Old General Mu was very fond of his granddaughter. Could it be that marrying his granddaughter to a cripple was really, as the rumors went, to avoid Taizi and Third Wangzi¡¯s entanglement?

    Zi You smiled a blooming and dazzling smile. This was the first time that she had smiled sincerely since she came to Lianyun Pce.

    De Fei discovered that Zi You¡¯s smile was gorgeous, as if hundreds of flowers were blooming. It could eclipse the surrounding scenery.

    A vase of blooming red, pink, and other colored plum blossoms sat on her table. The flowers were originally charming, but Zi You¡¯s smile now suppressed their charm.

    De Fei was shocked by Zi You¡¯s smile, but even more stunned by her words.

    ¡°Consort, please forgive Chennu for not agreeing with you. Grandfather loves Chennu, so he will certainly not harm Chennu. Grandfather has his own considerations. Shizi¡¯s leg had notpletely lost hope of being treated. But even if he isme, he and his father, Duke Yongnan, have promised grandfather that Shizi will wholeheartedly treat Chennu well. He will not have tongfangs now or concubines in the future. How precious is this point? How many noble descendants can make such a vow? It is not scary for a person to be sick. The scary thing is for a person¡¯s mind to be sick. Grandfather liked this point about Shizi and Duke Yongnan. That¡¯s why he agreed to the engagement.¡±

 Chapter 128 Second Wangzi Seeks Treatment [3]

    <h4>Chapter 128 Second Wangzi Seeks Treatment [3]</h4>

    Zi You looked at De Fei and smiled sincerely. ¡°Consort, it¡¯s just like Second Wangzi¡¯s situation. In others people¡¯s eyes, he isme. But in Chennu¡¯s eyes, he is better than normal men because of his higher sense of justice and strength.¡±

    In fact, Second Wangzi had been here earlier. He had been hiding and eavesdropping on them behind a screen. At this point, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pushed his wheelchair out from behind the screen.

    You¡¯re finally out. Zi You looked at the handsome man sitting in his wheelchair and secretly smiled.

    Actually, from the time Zi You entered Lianyun Pce, she knew that Second Wangzi was hiding behind the screen. Her auditory, visual, and observational abilities were superior to ordinary people now. She didn¡¯t need to use her spiritual power to clearly observe every little detail.

    When De Fei was talking to Zi You, her eyes swept across the screen from time to time. That¡¯s how Zi You knew that someone was there. Not to mention, when Second Wangzi heard De Fei crying, Zi You heard faint sighs.

    Zi You looked at Second Wangzi and her expression deliberately turned cold. Although she properly curtsied to him, her voice was very cold.

    Then she looked at De Fei and coldly smiled. ¡°What does consort intend? Chennu may be young, but is still engaged. Does consort want Chennu to be denounced by the public?¡±

    Although Great Yan was not as conservative as to have rumors flying if a man and woman met, De Fei letting an engaged woman privately meet Second Wangzi would certainly let those with ulterior motives denounce Zi You for being lonely and fickle.

    She first had some unclear rtions with Taizi and Third Wangzi. Now, she was engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi, but was meeting Second Wangzi. Those high-society hypocrites would only follow the herd and throw rocks while she was down, regardless of the truth.

    Second Wangzi saw that Zi You was angry, so he immediately bowed strenuously in his wheelchair. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Mu Xiaojie. And please don¡¯t me Mufei. It was all my idea. I wanted to meet Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    ¡°Men and women should maintain distance. Second Wangzi is a learned person and should understand that gossip is a fearful thing, right?¡± Zi You coldly asked. ¡°Or do you think that you are wangzi and can do whatever you want?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Looking into Zi You¡¯s eyes that were as deep as an ancient well, Second Wangzi was actually a bit panicked. It never urred to him that a twelve-year-old little yatou had such a powerful aura.

    On second thought, he was at ease. She could force Shangguan Lingluo to publicly apologize to her. Mu Zi You was, after all, not a usual xiaojie in the boudoir.

    She could calmly reply under the imperial censor¡¯s questioning. She could calmly handle his Fuwang¡¯s inquiries. How could a military family¡¯s descendant like this tolerate any slightest hint of misconduct towards her just because he was a wangzi?

    Second Wangzi hurried to exin. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Mu Xiaojie. I didn¡¯t intend to bully you with my identity. In reality, I, a wangzi, is notparable to amon person.¡±

    A pained and helpless expression appeared on Second Wangzi¡¯s face.

    His face was already handsome. He was like Shangguan LingRan in that they were both evildoers. The difference was that Shangguan LingRan felt uninhibited and full of wicked charm. But Second Wangzi was cold and detached, giving people a feeling of loneliness.

    At this time, a pair of double-lidded phoenix eyes contained resentment and sorrow. They seem to hold thousands of grievances, making people unable to reproach him anymore.

    An average woman would have already softened her heart. But Zi You was already immune to anyone and any situation after the pain from her previous life. Even this Shangguan Boyu was not enough to arouse a trace of sympathy in Zi You.

    She still looked coldly at Second Wangzi. She heard his maic baritone and saw his bitter smile. ¡°Common people have their brothers and fathers¡¯ love. But I... Forget it. You won¡¯t understand. In fact, I had Mufei summon you into the Pce because I want to ask you for a favor. I wonder if Mu Xiaojie can help me?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°Second Wangzi is exaggerating. Chennu is an underage guniang with no power or authority. Other than a little medical knowledge, Chennu has no other skills. What can Chennu help Second Wangzi with?¡±

    ¡°Mu Xiaojie is too modest.¡± De Fei finally couldn¡¯t it and said. ¡°All the imperial doctors are helpless in curing Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s leg. But there was an improvement in just three days under Mu Xiaojie¡¯s treatment. How can such medical skills be considered minor?¡±

    Zi You answered calmly, ¡°Learning has its advantages and technique has its merits. Chennu specializes in bone trauma. Don¡¯t forget. Chennu formed a female medical team in order to help wounded soldiers on the battlefield. In fact, if it¡¯s other ailments, Chennu is really iparable to imperial doctors. Don¡¯t listen to other people¡¯s exaggeration, consort. Chennu will be reprimanded as overestimating her abilities and arrogant.¡±

    ¡°But I want you to help me heal my paralysis.¡± Second Wangzi anxiously blurted out.

    He was really miserably tortured from theck of feeling in the lower half of his body. Back then, his martial arts and riding skills were the best among the wangzis. He was also the most favored and valued by his Fuwang.

    Now, these things were already far away from him. He could endure, but the main point was that he was unwilling to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

    It was already miserable enough not to be able to walk. As a man, he couldn¡¯t even take care of his own bodily functions. That was where he felt the most humiliated. When he saw his brothers and sisters¡¯ mocking gazes, he was so ashamed that he wanted to kill someone. As such, he secretly practiced martial arts. He didn¡¯t dare to ck off for even a day.

    He could fly two meters up a tall tree or wall even in a wheelchair. But in the eyes of others, he was still a waste.

    Zi You was naturally aware of his condition. She could even guess who put him in this predicament. Trees would be destroyed by the forest wind. His brightness overshadowed the nation¡¯s heir Taizi. It would be strange if Taizi would let him continue shining brilliantly.

    This Second Wangzi fell, but didn¡¯t learn his lesson. He actually had De Fei summon her into the Pce at such a sensitive time to cure his injury. Zi You was afraid that his injury wouldn¡¯t be cured before someone would harm him to death.

    Such a brainless fellow really deserved to be harmed until he was in a wheelchair. If she cured him, Second Wangzi probably wouldn¡¯t be an opponent of that smiling tiger Taizi.

    Zi You secretly shook her head, but Second Wangzi did not know what she was thinking about. He still jabbered on. ¡°My injury should be considered in the realm of Mu Xiaojie¡¯s specialty. I fell off a horse five years ago. My backnded on a stone. That¡¯s why I became paralyzed. At the time, all the imperial doctors said that if I rest and recuperate, I will get better. But three monthster, those imperial doctors told me that I will never stand up again. Mu Xiaojie, I am not willing to sit in a wheelchair my whole life. So, I beg you to please help me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zi You shook her head in refusal. ¡°Second Wangzi, please forgive Chennu for being powerless. Your lumbar region has been injured too long ago. Also, even if you just injured it, in addition to medicine, your close cooperation is required. For example, you cannot be anxious or angry and pay attention to functional exercise. In addition, Chennu wants to advise De Fei and Second Wangzi to be low-key in the Pce. As for why, if consort and Second Wangzi still do not understand, then even if Second Wangzi¡¯s paralysis is cured, other disasters will stille.¡±

    Second Wangzi was greatly shocked. His face changed colors and he looked speechlessly at Zi You.

    De Fei nodded with feeling. Although she was shocked that at such a young age, Zi You saw problems so clearly and sharply, she still walked to the front of Zi You and said with gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Mu Xiaojie. You are right. I was too na?ve and foolish before.¡±

    Zi You still coldly shook her head. She looked secretly at the pondering and deste Second Wangzi. She said lowly, ¡°Chennu is summoned into the Pce and no matter what, Chennu will not treat you. Please forgive Chennu, Second Wangzi. If there is nothing else, please allow Chennu to take her leave.¡±

    Second Wangzi was full of despair and regret and was dazed, but De Fei understood. Her face showed surprised and she wanted to speak.

    Zi You gently shook her head. She stretched out her embroidered and beaded shoe and slowly wrote a line of words on the tiles. Then she immediately wiped them off. She deeply curtsied and left lightly and elegantly.

    De Fei clearly saw the line of words. ¡°To cure the injury, don¡¯t publicize it. Do it in secret.¡±

    The thing that made De Fei stunned was that she didn¡¯t know how Zi You could write and erase a line of words on the tiles.

    De Fei did not know that the tip of Zi You¡¯s shoe was dipped in ayer of cinnabar. With her qinggong, she could leave no traces when she walked on snow. The toe part of the show was also curved. If she didn¡¯t use force, the cinnabar would not spill onto the ground.

    De Fei excitedly patted the still-pondering Second Wangzi. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, ¡°Mu Xiaojie agreed to treat you, but she said that it must be done in secret. Son, is it wrong to publicly summon her into the Pce like this?¡±

    Second Wangzi nodded and whispered to De Fei, ¡°Mufei, leak the news out that Mu Zi You doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors. Second Wangzi wanted to marry her as Zhengfei, but she refused. Don¡¯t say anything else. I will do the rest.¡±

    Second Wangzi was not stupid, but he was tortured by his suffering and merely changed his temperament these few years. This could be understood. He was a high-above wangzi favored by his Fuwang. He becameme and was despised by everyone and lost his Fuwang¡¯s love and attention.

 Chapter 129 Test and Entanglement

    <h4>Chapter 129 Test and Entanglement</h4>

    However, Zi You¡¯s words today were like a wake-up call, clearing up his mind dousing the fire of his resentment and un-reconcilement.

    She was right. All of this was because when he and his Mufei were favored by the Emperor, they not only weren¡¯t low-key, but instead were too ostentatious. He thought that he should get those things because he was too handsome and excellent. At that time, he even dared to verbally offend Taizi. His Mufei also relied on the Emperor¡¯s favor and repeatedly provoked the Empress. So, the root of this evil was nted by himself. When disaster struck, he and his Mufei were both dragged down. He was flustered and lost his rationality. Someone schemed against him step by step by and he became what he was like today.

    Second Wangzi thought about the ups and downs that he had experienced and Zi You¡¯s words again. He was deep in thought in his wheelchair.

    He was eighteen years old this year and still lived in the Pce. He still had not established his own pce yet.

    The reason was simple. He had not yet married. No one was willing to marry him in his current situation.

    And he himself did not want to look at the disdainful eyes of those noble xiaojies.

    Therefore, when the Emperor asked him twice and wanted to bestow an engagement on him, Second Wangzi coldly refused. ¡°Erchen is like this now. If Erchen marries someone, Erchen will be harming her. Does Fuwang not think that Erchen had been spurned enough?¡±

    As a result, the Emperor was angry and never asked about his matters again. Not only marriage, but the Emperor no longer cared about his other matters either. It was as if he didn¡¯t have this son.

    Actually, Great Yan¡¯s wangzis should move out of the Pce as soon as they were adults even if they weren¡¯t married.

    It wasn¡¯t for anything else, except to not be in contact with the Emperor¡¯s harem of consorts.

    There were three thousand beauties in the harem. If a loose and lonely woman hooked up with a wangzi and cuckolded the Emperor, wouldn¡¯t this be the biggest scandal? This sort of thing absolutely could not happen.

    But because Second Wangzi could not copte and was like a eunuch, the Emperor must be extremely relieved. He allowed him to live in the Pce and not have to establish his own pce. Let¡¯s not talk about how he saved arge sum of money. But it also made it seem as if he cared a lot about this son. That¡¯s why he kept him by his side.

    Since the Emperor made no arrangements, others were naturally willing to see a joke.

    Since he and his Mufei fell out of favor, the Empress had already moved them out of the luxuriously-decorated Weiyang Pce that was the closest to the Emperor¡¯s Chengguang Pce Hall to the most remote Lianyun Pce.

    The reason was dignified: ¡°Meimei¡¯s [De Fei] name is Lu Xiaoyun and the most favored by the Emperor. It¡¯s the most suitable for meimei to live in this Lianyun Pce. The Emperor heard Bengong¡¯s words and agreed. Meimei, you have to be grateful for the Emperor¡¯s love for you.¡±

    It would be okay if these words weren¡¯t spoken, but once spoken, they were like a steel knife slicing into Mufei¡¯s heart.

    A consort of the previous Emperor, who was guilty of a crime, used to live at Lianyun Pce. This consort was hung to death in Lianyun Pce. This ce was almost deserted, like the Cold Pce. When they moved here, the ce was overgrown with weeds and deste and eerie. Because his Mufei was angry and sorrowful and was exposed to the frigid air, she ran a high fever that night. If Gao mama [elderly nurse or servant] didn¡¯t normally take care of the rewards that the Emperor bestowed and took the gold and silver jewelry to invite an imperial doctor, he was afraid that his Mufei would have died.

    Mufei was only thirty-three years old, but already had white hair and wrinkles. This was his and that dog couple Emperor and Empress¡¯ fault. Once Second Wangzi thought of how the Emperor ignored him and his Mufei all these years, he was angry enough to want to kill. His handsome face turned grim. He gritted his teeth as he secretly vowed that he would double the humiliation and suffering that he and his Mufei suffered to those people who harmed them and let them down.

    Second Wangzi beckoned to his confidant eunuch and imperial guard Chu Shang and whispered some words to them.

    Chu Shang was originally De Fei¡¯s bodyguard from her maiden family. In order to enter the Pce to protect De Fei, he became a eunuch. This man, who was only two years older than De Fei, had always been secretly in love with his Xiaojie. But he was a servant and Lu Xiaoyun was his master. She could not marry him no matter what.

    Sure enough, when Xiaojie was only fourteen years old, because her appearance was superior and she was talented, she was selected by the Emperor to enter the Pce.

    Although Xiaojie¡¯s father was an imperial censor and offended a lot of people, she won the Emperor¡¯s favor with her appearance and temperament. She soon gave birth to a wangzi and was soon conferred as a consort.

    She had been favored and living in glory for more than ten years. If Second Wangzi had not fallen off the horse, became paralyzed, and greatly changed his temperament; how could Xiaojie be sad and neglected the Emperor and lost his favor and ended up in her current miserable situation?

    In the end, no one was to me except the heartless and fickle Emperor. There were countless of young beauties in the harem. How could the Emperor remember the aged and listless Xiaojie?

    Actually, Xiaojie was no less ugly than those women. If she wasn¡¯t worried about Second Wangzi all day and was toozy to dress and put make up on, even all the women in the harem together could not add up to Xiaojie¡¯s beauty.

    Chu Shang¡¯s heart held hatred, so he naturally followed Second Wangzi¡¯s words. After De Fei lost favor, he was one of the few loyal attendants who stayed with De Fei and Second Wangzi. Now, there were many eyes sent by the Empress around De Fei and Second Wangzi. Only the two maidservants whom De Fei brought into the Pce with her, Xichun and Yindong and her wet nurse Gao mama were loyal. The other attendants had other intentions, so De Fei and Second Wangzi had never trusted them.

    That Mu Xiaojie was young, but knew that Lianyun Pce had many eyes and ears. She actually came up with the idea to secretly treat Second Wangzi¡¯s injury.

    Regardless of her medical skills, how could it be easy to secretly treat his injury? Second Wangzi could not walk and was in a wheelchair. Mu Xiaojie was a blue-blooded noble xiaojie and the Emperor¡¯s conferredmander of the female medical team. Even without her status, she was already eye-catching enough, so how could she leave the fu easily?

    He didn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t directly name a ce and location where and when she would treat Second Wangzi, but instead made Second Wangzi rack his brain to make arrangements? Chu Shang did not understand and went sullenly to perform the tasks that Second Wangzi assigned him.

    Second Wangzi more or less guessed Zi You¡¯s thoughts. This was for his own treatment. If he didn¡¯t actively arrange matters, could it be that she should do it for him?

    Zi You was sitting in a pce sedan chair and had a faint smile on her face. She deliberately gave a difficult problem to Second Wangzi. If he couldn¡¯t even ovee such a small difficulty, then why should she treat his paralysis? He would be a waste even if he was cured.

    Rather than a physical disability, it was more terrifying to have a useless brain. She was unrted to him in any way, so she wasn¡¯t obligated to do a good deed for him. Zi You arrived at the Pce door, got off the sedan chair, and saw Taizi.

    When Taizi saw her, he asked in huge surprise, ¡°You¡¯er! When did you enter the Pce? Who summoned you? Are you leaving now?¡±

    He asked several questions in a row. His tone and expression were intimate, as if he saw a lover whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.

    Zi You shivered! She thought ck-belly, ¡®Keep pretending. You must have received news that De Fei summoned me and came to meet me here. Also, do we know each other well? Who are you showing this deeply emotional and pleasantly surprised expression for? Do you want to prove to everyone that you and I are in love?¡¯

    She soon saw through Taizi¡¯s plot. She faintly curtsied. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Taizi. Wishing Taizi thousands of good fortune!¡±

    Taizi stepped forwards to personally help her up.

    Shiyun quickly blocked in front of him.

    Zi You¡¯s body shifted and dodged to the side. She said properly, ¡°Men and women should maintain distance. Please conduct yourself with dignity, Taizi!¡±

    Taizi feigned a hurt expression on his face and sighed. ¡°You¡¯er, are you ming me for not going to see you every day after you got injured? I went, but Old General wouldn¡¯t let me see you.¡±

    Shameless! Zi You secretly and angrily scolded. This person deliberately tried to create romantic news in front of a bustling ce. His words and actions were to tell people that he really had some sort of entanglement with Zi You. He wanted her to break off the engagement with Zhao HongXiang and obediently run into his arms.

    If the ignorant her in her previous life saw him like this, she would certainly be fooled by him. But she would not be so stupid in this lifetime.

    Zi You immediately pretended to look na?ve and innocent. She looked at Taizi and increased her volume. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very angry! Why didn¡¯t brother-inw Taizie with Xue jiejie [Liu Ruixue] to see me? Xue jiejie tells me about brother-inw Taizi gege. She told me to ignore you and pretend that I didn¡¯t see you when we meet. So, I can¡¯t talk to you. I¡¯m leaving now. Don¡¯t stop me.¡±

    She smiled and started to leave.

    There were originally many officials and bystanders looking at them in front of the bustling Pce door. When they heard her words, the suspicions they had about Zi You and Taizi¡¯s rtionship were shaken.

    It seemed that the situation wasn¡¯t like what the rumors said about Mu Xiaojie interacting with Taizi and Third Wangzi.

    It seemed that the na?ve and innocent Mu Xiaojie treated Taizi as her brother-inw. She didn¡¯t think in the direction of male-female rtions.

    Taizi¡¯s expression did make people suspicious. It seemed that Taizi liked Mu Xiaojie¡¯s appearance, talent, and family background. But Mu Xiaojie was young and insensible. She regarded Taizi as her brother-inw and was not reserved, making Taizi misunderstand.

    Or perhaps Taizi did not misunderstand. He wanted to take the opportunity to marry both sisters and move them to Taizi fu.

    After all, in terms of appearance, talent, or family background, Mu Xiaojie was no worse than Liu Xiaojie.

 Chapter 130 Taiziâ€™s Sinister Intentions

    <h4>Chapter 130 Taizi¡¯s Sinister Intentions</h4>

    Zi You guessed correctly. Taizi found out that De Fei summoned her into the Pce and deliberately went to intercept her.

    When Zi You was injured, he went to the General¡¯s Manor and begged Old General Mu to see her. Old General Mu refused. Later on, his marriage proposal was turned down and he was even less likely to see Zi You.

    For this reason, he proposed to marry Zi You as cefei to the Emperor. His Fuwang didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and directly refused him.

    Plus, he was especially angry. His words were also extremely harsh, ¡°What? You already have two cefeis, but now you want to add another cefei? Mu Zi You, Old General Mu¡¯s precious granddaughter? Haha...... Your appetite is not small. Tell Zhen which other official¡¯s daughter you want to marry. You want to seize political and military power already?¡±

    At that time, Taizi was scared into breaking out in a cold sweat. He repeatedly kowtowed. ¡°Fuwang, Erchen doesn¡¯t dare. Erchen really just admires You¡¯er¡¯s talent. Also, towards Erchen, You¡¯er is...... Erchen begs Fuwang for your grace!¡±

    ¡°Scram.¡± The Emperor¡¯s face turned livid at his words.

    His expression was as if he just caught his consort in an adulterous situation and was splendidly cuckolded.

    That expression seemed as if he wanted to kill someone.

    Taizi ran away in fear to the Empress¡¯. He told this matter to the Empress and she not only did not sympathize with him and tried toe up with a n for him, but she fiercely pped him. ¡°Who let you go to your Fuwang to propose marrying Mu Zi You as cefei? You don¡¯t want to be Taizi anymore? Or do you think that your life is too long and don¡¯t want to live anymore?

    ¡°Your Fuwang is originally suspicious. He doesn¡¯t even trust his own biological brother. Who is Old General Mu? He is a spear that is used against your imperial uncle. Now, you actually dare to covet his spear. Are you not afraid that you will lose your life?¡±

    Taizi did indeed have the intentions to seize the spear, but he wanted Mu Zi You more.

    Since the time that Zi You humiliated Shangguan Lingluo and showcased her talent, Taizi had been enchanted.

    After all, it was rare to find a brave woman with unmatched appearance and unmatched talent.

    Not to mention, after he went to the General¡¯s Manor to investigate, Darong Ka told him, ¡°Taizi Ye, Nucai is certain that Mu Zi You has spiritual power. It¡¯s just that her spiritual power isn¡¯t very strong right now or Nucai will not be her opponent. The strange thing is that Nucai met an opponent who was stronger than she is in her fu. Nucai did not see his face before Nucai lost to him.¡±

    Zi You had spiritual power and a powerful helper. Taizi immediately thought of Zi You¡¯s mother: that mysterious foreigner Dier.

    Since Dier came to the capital, she had always stayed in the General¡¯s Manor. She did not participate in any high society events. Besides that, as a foreign woman, even if she was a heavenly beauty, she had to have some ability. Otherwise, why would Old General Mu tell his Fuwang, ¡°She saved YingYi, who was bitten by a poisonous snake and has nowhere to go. So Chen brought her back. After all, she is the savior of Chen¡¯s son. How can Chen let her wander outside alone?¡±

    However, if she had nowhere to go, then that meant that she had no family. So why after her death, did Old General Mu ced her body in a coffin and sent her to be buried in Nanjiang and not in the Mu family¡¯s ancestral graveyard?

    After all, Taizi was not a fool. Once he thought of this, he was more certain that Zi You was like Dier, who had some magical power.

    That was because Mu family¡¯s army was extremely loyal. No matter how Taizi bribed, he could not obtain any useful information. Later, he obtained with difficulty from a low soldier this news: ¡°Our Furen is not an ordinary woman. She had been deep in the mountains and jungles.

    ¡°Poisonous snakes were thicker than our waist and could kill people with one drop of their poison. Even we were afraid of death and frightened looking at them. But our Furen yed with them like toys. Those poisonous animals, especially, were scared just looking at her.¡±

    If Zi You had the same ability as her mother and she became his woman, would Taizi worry about not obtaining the throne?

    Thus, Taizi held a determination to obtain Zi You. For this, he had begged the Empress to summon Zi You into the Pce, but the Empress vehemently refused. ¡°You have not ascertained that she has the same power as her mother. Even if she does, do you think it¡¯s worth it to offend your Fuwang for her? I guess that your Fuwang wants to make her a consort. That way, he can tightly control Old General Mu.¡±

    Taizi heard that his old father wanted to be an old bull eating tender grass and was even more dissatisfied towards him.

    You have so many women in your harem that you can¡¯t even y with them all. For your favor, those women bribe the eunuchs to put their green tablets on top.* Aren¡¯t you afraid you will be oversexed and wilt early?

    [TL Note: How Emperors select who serves them in bed that night.]

    Of course, he could only think these words ck belly. He would never dare to say them out loud.

    Out of desperation, he decided to block Zi You in front of the Pce gate. He deliberately showed such an expression and said such ambiguous words.

    There was only one purpose. He wanted to twist the truth and made it a fait apli. He wanted to force Old General Mu to marry Zi You to him.

    Taizi calcted well, but Zi You saw through him. She broke his plot with a few words.

    Taizi rarely saw Zi You smile. He saw her slightly smile when the butterflies and small birds surrounded her. That smile was filled with confidence and wisdom, dazzling his eyes and striking his heart.

    Her smile today was different from that day. It was a bit mischievous and lovable, and had a hint of me. It made her seem less cold and made her more beautiful and her eyebrows more vivid.

    Taizi stared foolishly, as Zi You was stepping out of the Pce gate.

    ¡°You¡¯er.¡± Taizi reacted and was a bit anxious. He immediately chased her. ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t leave. You haven¡¯t answered me yet. Wait......¡±

    Zi You was a blue-blooded xiaojie of the boudoir. In public, she could not run or use her qinggong, so Taizi soon caught up to her. He once again blocked her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, You¡¯er. I still have matters with you......¡±

    ¡°I was wondering who it was, so it¡¯s this nuisance.¡± Before Taizi finished speaking, Shangguan LingRan suddenly came out from somewhere.

    Seeing Taizi blocking Zi You, he hated that he couldn¡¯t take out his Silver Moon Hook and cleave Taizi in half.

    He held back his anger and went over to held Taizi back. He deliberately red viciously at Zi You. ¡°Taizi gege, why are you paying attention to this ugly person? Did you forget that she made Lingluo meimei lose her waistband, tear her dress, and make a fool of herself? Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s find Lingluo meimei to y.¡±

    He pulled Taizi away. No matter how much Taizi struggled, he could not break free and was really pulled away by him.

    Zi You knew that Shangguan LingRan must have received the news and hurried over to help her.

    A warm feeling unconsciously rose in her heart. Zi You looked angrily at the two¡¯s departing backs. She lightly scolded, ¡°Dandy.¡± Then she stomped her feet and walked out of the Pce gate.

    Zi You did not return home, but went to Duke Anguo fu. During this period of time, rumors of her and Taizi were spread. She didn¡¯t know whether Xue jiejie would misunderstand.

    She didn¡¯t want to ruin her and Liu Ruixue¡¯s friendship because of a sanctimonious hypocrite like Taizi.

    Moreover, she and him had nothing improper going on. The rumors were created by him because he had sinister motives. Should she tell Xue jiejie about that beast¡¯s true face?

    It was really difficult to decide. If she told her, wouldn¡¯t that add to Liu Ruixue¡¯s troubles? But if Zi You didn¡¯t tell her, then wasn¡¯t that harming her?

    After Zi You knew about Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s scandal, she was really in a dilemma. She wanted to tell her aunt, but she was afraid that her aunt would ask her how she knew such a secretive matter. How could she reply then? Tell her that she and Shangguan LingRan scouted out Taizi fu and that she personally witnessed it? Wouldn¡¯t that scare her aunt to death?

    She also could not tell Old General Mu. If he knew that she did such a dangerous thing, he would certainly ground her and never let her set foot outside the house again.

    Zi You thought and decided to test Liu Ruixue first. If she really liked Taizi and wholeheartedly wanted to marry him, then Zi You wouldn¡¯t say anything.

    When she married him, Zi You would do her best to lessen the hurt that Taizi would cause her.

    But if Liu Ruixue did not want to marry Taizi, then Zi You would tell her the whole truth and help her think of a way to leave Taizi.

    Zi You made up her mind and arrived at Duke Anguo fu. She handed an invitation card over and Liu Ruixue personally came out shortly to meet her. She was very happy to Zi You, but said worriedly, ¡°I was just thinking that I have to visit you one of these days and you¡¯vee. How are you? Are your injuries healed? Are you ufortable anywhere?¡±

    Zi You pulled her hand and smiled as she hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xue jiejie. You¡¯re about to get married in half a year. Is your dowry prepared? Is your wedding gown finished?¡±

    Liu Ruixue¡¯s face turned red and she shook her head worriedly. She forced out a smile. ¡°What is there to prepare? I will just be a cefei. It¡¯s said to be a consort, but how is it really different than a small concubine? Not to mention......¡±

    Liu Ruixue changed the topic. If she had any fantasy towards the outstanding and elegant Taizi before, she was disappointed in him, now that she had seen his schemes to marry Zi You at all cost.

    Zi You looked at her expression and didn¡¯t say anymore. She was in a dilemma once again. Should she tell her about Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo?

 Chapter 131 Helpless Lobbyist [1]

    <h4>Chapter 131 Helpless Lobbyist [1]</h4>

    Zi You did not go with Liu Ruixue to her courtyard immediately. Instead, she went to greet Duke Anguo furen. During the time that she was ¡°injured,¡± Duke Anguo furen not only sent over many precious tonics, but personally brought Liu Ruixue to the General¡¯s Manor to see her twice. Whether it was out of affection or reason, she should thank her godmother.

    Although her aunt had brought her to Duke Anguo fu to thank her after her recovery, she was going to do it personally and alone now. The level of sincerity was not the same.

    When they arrived at Duke Anguo furen¡¯s courtyard, Zi You saw that Duke Anguo furen¡¯s close confidant Xie mama was already waiting there. She saw them get off the sedan chairs and hurried forward to curtsy to them. ¡°Paying respects to Mu Xiaojie and Xiaojie. Furen knows that Mu Xiaojie hase and has been waiting for a long time.¡±

    Zi You was very cold to everyone except for her rtives and friends this lifetime. But Xie mama was Duke Anguo furen¡¯s most trusted servant, so Zi You was very willing to give her face. She lightly helped her up. ¡°Xie mama doesn¡¯t need to be so polite. Hurry and get up. It is You¡¯er¡¯s fault for making godmother wait.¡±

    They walked into Duke Anguo furen¡¯s living quarters. Duke Anguo furen did not meet her in the living room, so she clearly did not treat her like an outsider. Moreover, it looked like Duke Anguo furen did not pay attention to the rumors flying outside about Zi You and Taizi.

    Sure enough, Duke Anguo furen saw Zi You and pulled her to sit down next to her on the couch without letting Zi You finish curtsying. ¡°Good child, does the injured area still hurt? You have to nourish your body well. Don¡¯t let some disease take root. Girls have delicate bodies. You¡¯ve suffered such a heavy injury. It¡¯s really worrying.¡±

    ¡°Godmother, You¡¯er is fine and made you worry!¡± Zi You¡¯s heart was warm. The usual coldness on her face was missing. She had a sweet smile on her face, which startled Duke Anguo furen.

    Duke Anguo furen couldn¡¯t help but secretly sigh. ¡°No wonder so many wangzis and Shizi want to marry her. Her appearance is three times better than her mother¡¯s that year. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that it can cause the downfall of a country. That¡¯s why someone hates her and sent assassins to kill her.¡±

    Thinking of this, Duke Anguo furen softly reminded Zi You. ¡°Good child, you have to bring more guards with you when you leave the house. It was so dangerous! Fortunately your three jiejies left early or you would be in more danger trying to protect them.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that the three girls and their parents held no suspicions towards Zi You getting injured.

    Four girls went into the mountain together, but three of them were fine and only Zi You was injured. It was said that she sent the other three girls back first and stayed alone in the mountain. That¡¯s how she put herself in danger.

    But why did she stay in the mountain alone? Why didn¡¯t she return from the mountain with the three girls? When asked, the three girls shook their heads. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯er didn¡¯t say.¡±

    Duke Anguo furen had these doubts and asked Old General Mu about them when she went to visit Zi You.

    Old General Mu had a good exnation. ¡°That¡¯s because the child wanted to learn medicine. She wanted to catch some small animals on the mountain to practice medicine on and was found by people with bad intentions. You¡¯er had said that it was fortunate that she sent her three jiejies away. Otherwise, she would have implicated them. I also think that that was a blessing among misfortune.¡±

    The three families were suspicious, but they understood. Although Zi You was a military family¡¯s descendant, she was still a noble blue-blooded xiaojie. She naturally didn¡¯t want anyone to see her doing something vulgar as catching animals. Even if they were close friends, she didn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression on them.

    Old General Mu was secretly relieved when he saw that the three xiaojies and their families were no longer suspicious. He was also very gratified about his granddaughter¡¯s ability.

    He didn¡¯t expect his granddaughter¡¯s Worriless Pill was so effective. Liu Ruixue, Xia Ruoqing, and Ji Bingyu only remembered that they went into the mountain with Zi You and wereter sent by Zi You back to their homes.

    A cold light shed in Zi You¡¯s eyes when she thought about the vicious attack that day. She smiledfortingly at Duke Anguo furen. ¡°You¡¯er understands, godmother. You¡¯er will pay more attention in the future. Don¡¯t worry. In fact, this is also good. This can train You¡¯er¡¯s courage. Otherwise, You¡¯er might turn into a coward on the battlefield with grandfather and uncle. Let¡¯s treat it as experiencing war early.¡±

    Duke Anguo furen was startled. She lightly chided, ¡°This child. You say it so lightly. Do you need to personally kill people in order to save soldiers on the battlefield? If it¡¯s really like that, not only your grandfather, but your godmother, I, would not agree.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words were actually sincere. Although she was ice-cold to anyone else, she was absolutely sincere to her family and friends.

    If she wanted someone to like her, she could immediately make that person have a good impression of her.

    Just like now, she burrowed herself gratefully into Duke Anguo furen¡¯s arms. She gently acted spoiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry godmother. You¡¯er still wants to be a sister-inw. You¡¯er wants to have birthday celebrations with godmother and godfather every year. You¡¯er does not want to lose her life. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯er will pay more attention in the future.¡±

    Duke Anguo furen¡¯s motherly tenderness was aroused. She held Zi You for a long time without letting go.

    Liu Ruixue pretended to be jealous as she said, ¡°Once mother saw you, she tossed me to the side. We¡¯ve been here for so long and mother hasn¡¯t even spoken one word to me.¡±

    Duke Anguo furen smiled and patted her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°This child. How can you be jealous of your meimei?¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± The roomful of people, including Liu Ruixue¡¯s three sisters-inw and the servants, allughed.

    The atmosphere was very good. It seemed that Taizi and Zi You¡¯s rumors did not affect her friendship with them.

    Zi You gently rxed. She actually did not know that her Aunt had already been to Duke Anguo fu to make things clear.

    After knowing that Zi You wanted to avoid the imperial descendants and got engaged to Zhao HongXiang in order to cure his leg, they only heldpassion towards her and not me.

    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old handsome gongzi walked inside at this time.

    This gongzi was wearing an indigo colored silver embroidered flowing clouds cotton robe. His cor and cuffs were lined with sable fur. A light blue auspicious cloud wide brocade belt was around his waist. His ck hair was tied up with a small, silver jade-iid crown. The white jade crystals on the silver crown brought out his hair¡¯s silk-like smoothness and sleekness even more.

    Zi You knew that this was Liu Ruixue¡¯s youngest brother, Liu Jun.

    She had met Liu Jun twice before. The first time was at the banquet, but a lot of things happened that day, so she did not notice him.

    The second time was when Nee Liu brought Zi You to thank Duke Anguo furen. That was the first time they spoke.

    Zi You did not pay much attention to him, but the Duke¡¯s young son had firmly remembered her since Duke Anguo fu¡¯s banquet when Zi You taught Shangguan Lingluo a lesson.

    Actually, the people who remembered Zi You that day weren¡¯t only one or two people. Probably everyone there remembered her. Every man with a sense of justice admired her for her amazing talent, brilliant skills, that lofty and unyielding character, and that hot-bloodedness from a military family.

    Liu Jun was not an exception. He said to his father that night, ¡°That is a woman who deserves to be admired. What¡¯s the point of marrying one of those delicate and weak women skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and who vainly want to attach themselves to nobility?¡±

    When Duke Anguo heard that his son admired Zi You, he discussed things with his furen. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Jun¡¯er likes the goddaughter whom you have epted today, Zi You. I think the two people are a good match. Our two fus are also rtives already. We¡¯ll just be more familiar with each other. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Duke Anguo furen was very happy.

    [Another suitor...?]

    But she thought about Zi You¡¯s age and said, ¡°But You¡¯er is too young. She¡¯s only twelve years old. I¡¯m afraid that Old General will be reluctant to let her go. Moreover, Jun¡¯er just became a Juren [sessful candidate in the imperial provincial examination]. We don¡¯t know if he can seed in the imperial examination three yearster. If he cannot, would Old General like him? Let¡¯s wait until I ask Nee Liu about it.¡±

    Old General immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but tell her that You¡¯er¡¯s future husband cannot have tongfangs or concubines.¡±

    Nee Liu was embarrassed to death. How was she supposed to tell Duke Anguo furen this? Not all men were loyal in love like her husband and father-inw. She had no choice but to lie.

    ¡°Sister-inw, you know how much my father-inw dotes on You¡¯er. I told him that You¡¯er is already twelve years old and that we should look around for a future husband for her.

    ¡°But father-inw immediately became angry and said to me, ¡®I will set an engagement for You¡¯er after she reached the marriageable age of fifteen. I will never let her marry early.¡¯ It was as if I couldn¡¯t wait to marry You¡¯er off. How could I dare to say anything more?¡±

    Nee Liu¡¯s lie made Duke Anguo furen unable to say anything more. Nee Liu returned and didn¡¯t mention this matter anymore. In the end, Old General Mu misunderstood and thought that Duke Anguo did not agree to this matter. He was angry for several days.

    In the end, Zi You and Zhao HongXiang were engaged. Like Zi You, Old General Mu was deceived by Zhao HongXiang in her previous life too. But Zi You used many schemes in this lifetime to reveal Zhao HongXiang¡¯s lecherous character. Old General Mu already despised him. Why would he marry his precious granddaughter to him? If Zi You did not persuade him, he would never agree to this ridiculous marriage.

    When Duke Anguo furen found out that Zi You was engaged to Zhao HongXiang, she did not understand. ¡°Sister-inw, didn¡¯t you tell me that Old General wanted to keep You¡¯er by his side until she turns fifteen? Why did she suddenly get engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi? Chongxi! How could he think of that? Isn¡¯t Old General worried that You¡¯er would suffer marrying such a selfish person?¡±

    Nee Liu was angered to death. She replied, ¡°We¡¯ve been forced by the wangzis and Shizi. Father-inw had no other way and wanted to avoid those people. Just then, Duke Yongnan came to beg father-inw and said that his son loved You¡¯er. He begged father-inw to help his son on ount of him being ill.¡±

 Chapter 132 Helpless Lobbyist [2]

    <h4>Chapter 132 Helpless Lobbyist [2]</h4>

    Nee Liu revealed a trace of ridicule. ¡°He promised that Shizi will be wholeheartedly devoted to You¡¯er. He will not have a tongfang or concubine. Father-inw made him sign an agreement before he agreed. If not for this point, how can father-inw let You¡¯er get engaged to his son? Especially when his mother was so difficult?¡±

    Duke Anguo furen was not stupid. She then understood how her son had lost. So it turned out Old General wanted his grandson-inw to be loyal in love like him.

    Duke Anguo furen unwillingly closed her mouth. She really could not guarantee that her son would not have a concubine in his lifetime. Regardless of anything else, during the time that a woman was pregnant for ten months, how many men could hold on?

    Didn¡¯t Duke Anguo marry his first concubine when she was pregnant with their Shizi son back then?

    And this concubine was her beautiful maidservant. The more ironic thing was that this maidservant was prepared for her by her family early on for when she became pregnant.

    This tongfang maidservant now had two sons.

    This was way too normal inrge households. As soon as the man was an adult (fifteen years old), they would have a tongfang maidservant. Otherwise, who would teach them about those matters?

    Duke Anguo furen saw that her son looked at Zi You with heated eyes and couldn¡¯t help but secretly sigh.

    Liu Jun was the sixth oldest. Duke Anguo¡¯s Di sons were the first, third, and sixth sons. The three Shu sons were the second, fourth, and fifth sons.

    The first son was Shizi and was married. The second, third, and fourth sons were also married. The fifth was engaged.

    Now, only the sixteen-year-old Liu Jun was not yet engaged. He did not like the few females whom they mentioned. Now, he liked Zi You, but Zi You just got engaged to Zhao HongXiang. They really had no affinity!

    Zi You did not know Liu Jun¡¯s intentions towards her. She also did not know that Liu Jun was bitterly reading in the study. When he heard that she came, he threw the book aside and came running over.

    Zi You faintly smiled and curtsied to Liu Jun. ¡°You¡¯er pays respects to sixth brother [polite address]. Wishing sixth brother good fortune!¡±

    ¡°You meimei doesn¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Liu Jun was so excited that his face turned red. He wanted to help Zi You up, but felt that it was inappropriate, so he took his hand back.

    Zi You felt something abnormal. She had never noticed Liu Jun, but she couldn¡¯t help but look at him now. This nce stunned her. If she couldn¡¯t understand Liu Jun¡¯s fervent gaze, then she really was slow.

    Zi You reacted and immediately said to Duke Anguo furen, ¡°Godmother, You¡¯er will go take a look at Xue jiejie¡¯s wedding dress. You¡¯er wille back to speak with youter.¡±

    Duke Anguo furen knew that she was trying to avoid her son and couldn¡¯t stop her, of course. She had to smile and nod. ¡°Go then! I know you young people don¡¯t want to be with us old people.¡±

    ¡°How are you old? We look like sisters.¡± Liu Ruixue smiled cutely and pulled Zi You outside.

    Even until the two people disappeared, Liu Jun still did not turn his head.

    Duke Anguo furen saw this and secretly sighed again. It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t regretful.

    Zi You went to Liu Ruixue¡¯s boudoir. The embroidery frame was empty. There wasn¡¯t even a handkerchief on it, much less a wedding dress. She was startled and asked in surprise, ¡°There¡¯s a little more than a year to your wedding. Is your wedding dress already embroidered? Or haven¡¯t you started it yet?¡±

    Liu Ruixue shook her head. Her expression was faint. ¡°I don¡¯t want to embroider it. I had the embroiderers make it.¡±

    Zi You looked at the faint expression on her face and knew that she wasn¡¯t too happy with her uing marriage. Otherwise, as a soon-to-be bride, she should be bashful and nervous, with a bit of expectation. But Ruixue didn¡¯t have any of these expressions at all. Moreover, ording to Great Yan¡¯s customs, a bride should personally make her own wedding dress. None had let others make it.

    ¡°What is it? Are you unhappy with this marriage?¡±

    Liu Ruixue couldn¡¯t help but frown. Her eyes turned red as she was silent for two minutes. She decided to ask, ¡°You¡¯er, tell me the truth. Do you like Taizi?¡±

    Zi You knew then that the rumors between her and Taizi had hurt Liu Ruixue.

    Zi You didn¡¯t even hesitate and immediately and firmly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t like him. Xue jiejie, don¡¯t believe those rumors. I have never thought about marrying into the imperial family, whether it is Taizi, Third Wangzi, or Shizi. I didn¡¯t even want to have any association with Duke Yongnan Shizi. If I wasn¡¯t trying to avoid the others, I wouldn¡¯t have be engaged to him.¡±

    ¡°So you really became engaged to him because......¡± Liu Ruixue looked sympathetically at Zi You. She looked guilty.

    Zi You lightly smiled and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t feel guilty. This has nothing to do with you. Even without your engagement to Taizi, I still won¡¯t marry Taizi. Actually, I don¡¯t want to marry anyone. I just want to stay by grandfather¡¯s side and protect him and uncle from harm. I am someone who may go to battlefield at any moment. How can I stay in an inner courtyard and fight for favor with so many women?¡±

    Liu Ruixue¡¯s wide eyes stared at her in disbelief. She shook her head and tried to persuade her, ¡°But that¡¯s not realistic. You¡¯er, do you think that if you marry Duke Yongnan Shizi, he will really be wholeheartedly devoted to you and love only you? You¡¯er, you cannot easily believe in men.

    ¡°Although Zhao HongXiang signed an agreement, but if you want to rely on a piece of paper to control him, then it¡¯s too na?ve. I don¡¯t know whether he will marry concubines in the future. But I don¡¯t know if you know that Duke Yongnan got rid of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s four tongfang yatous and sold them to the brothels after you became engaged to him.¡±

    Liu Ruixue continued, ¡°Zhao HongXiang is only fifteen years old this year, but already have four tongfang yatous. Can you guarantee that such a lecherous person will allow you to go to the battlefield? Or that he would be faithful to only you? You¡¯er, if it¡¯s like this, you might as well marry Taizi. We sisters can bepanions. How about it?¡±

    ¡°Taizi wanted you to persuade me, right?¡± At this point, Zi You suddenly understood. She knew why Liu Ruixue looked indifferent at the thought of marrying Taizi now.

    No matter which woman, if right before she was about to marry, her fianc¨¦ wanted her to persuade her sister to marry him too, if she didn¡¯t feel anything, then the woman either loved him to the point where he could do no wrong or her brain was missing.

    Liu Ruixue was surprised. She didn¡¯t think that Zi You was so clever and suddenly guessed the reason.

    Zi You was correct. Taizi did indeed want her to persuade Zi You on this matter. When Liu Ruixue thought of how Taizi used the gentlest attitude to say the most heartless words, she felt that her heart was sliced with a knife and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but redden.

    That was the first time that Taizi wanted to see Liu Ruixue privately. In Great Yan, unmarried couples were not allowed to meet, but lots of couples with deep feelings secretly met.

    She and Taizi¡¯s feelings weren¡¯t deep, but she was very satisfied with the schrly and elegant gentlemanly heir to the throne.

    Her mother had told her many times, ¡°Mother really is unhappy with this marriage. Once I think of your status being below that She yatou [Taizifei], I¡¯m distressed.¡±

    Liu Ruixue even tried to persuade her mother, ¡°Mother, there is nothing perfect in this world. Daughter may be marrying Taizi as cefei, but Taizi must have requested the Empress Dowager for this marriage. Because of the Empress Dowager, Taizi would certainly not mistreat daughter.¡±

    She had always naively thought that Taizi asked the Empress Dowager to marry her as cefei was because he liked her.

    She thought that until the day Taizi asked to meet her in private. He gently and softly said, ¡°Xue¡¯er, do you know why I asked imperial grandmother for you to marry me? It¡¯s because you are gentle, virtuous, and understanding. This is something that not all noble xiaojies and many imperial family members have.¡±

    He continued with a pained face, ¡°As a Taizi, I don¡¯t feel any trace of warm. Fuwang now favors my third brother. Third brother is also eyeing the monarch¡¯s position. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can be Taizi. I really regret now that I shouldn¡¯t have pulled you into this cold environment just because I like you. If I have the support of Old General Mu or imperial uncle¡¯s [An Wang] support, my situation might be better.

    ¡°But imperial uncle does not like me ever since I was young. Old General Mu is angry because I proposed to marry Mu Zi You. Now, I am really worried that you will suffer grievances if you marry me. Don¡¯t be angry at me, Xue¡¯er. I proposed to Mu Xiaojie not because I like her in the way that I like you. It¡¯s because I wanted to get Old General Mu¡¯s support.

    ¡°I asked to meet you today because I missed you and because I wanted to exin this matter to you. I¡¯m not afraid that other people will get angry at me. I¡¯m just afraid that you will misunderstand me.¡±

    Liu Ruixue now knew that Taizi said those words because he wanted her to take the initiative to persuade Mu Zi You for her help.

    But she foolishly said then, ¡°Taizi, Old General dotes on You¡¯er. Now that you reached the limit for cefeis, he does not want to marry You¡¯er to you as a shufei [consort of status lower than cefei]. That is understandable. Don¡¯t me him.¡±

    She clearly remembered that after she said that, Taizi¡¯s smile immediately went away.

    He said sorrowfully to her, ¡°But if Old General Mu really hates me because of this, I¡¯m afraid that I can no longer be Taizi. Who doesn¡¯t know that Fuwang holds Old General Mu in the highest regard and is almost obedient to him? If he says some bad things about me in front of Fuwang, I¡¯m afraid that Fuwang will dislike me even more.¡±

    Taizi was gentle, but anxious as he said, ¡°Xue¡¯er, take into ount that I¡¯m deeply devoted to you and help me persuade Mu Zi You. Even if she doesn¡¯t marry me, I hope that she doesn¡¯t hate me. Of course, it will be even better if she can marry me too. Xue¡¯er, if you seed, the future Empress¡¯ position will be yours. Our son will be the future Taizi.¡±

 Chapter 133 Slag Father Names Another Concubine, Stepmother Changes Strategy [1]

    <h4>Chapter 133 g Father Names Another Concubine, Stepmother Changes Strategy [1]</h4>

    At that time, before Taizi finished speaking, Liu Ruixue felt her heart shatter. She didn¡¯t know how she returned home afterwards.

    She didn¡¯t want Zi You to marry him. But she thought that she was going to marry Taizi soon. If he wanted to marry someone else, what could she do? Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but ask Zi You.

    She admitted that she was selfish, but one had to put oneself first. She couldn¡¯t watch Duke Anguo fu suffer too.

    Thinking of this, Liu Ruixue forcefully suppressed the bitterness in her heart. Sheughed freely and easily. ¡°No. I just don¡¯t want you to be deceived by Zhao HongXiang. Besides, what¡¯s wrong with us sisters marrying the same man?¡±

    Although she said that, the smile in her eyes was faint. She also looked at Zi You a bit nervously.

    Zi You really hated Taizi. In her previous life, she treated Yu Lanxuan as her best friend and listened to her and Wang Yiping and gradually alienated herself from everyone.

    In this life, she thought that she could meet a few sincere friends, but it seemed that this was hopeless. Liu Ruixue had not married Taizi yet, but here she was trying to test her in every way.

    It looked like she was doomed to be a loner. Zi You smiled deprecatingly. The thought of telling Liu Ruixue about Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s scandal waspletely dispelled now.

    She slowly, but very firmly said, ¡°I will not share a husband with any woman. Even if it¡¯s my sister, I will never agree! Xue jiejie, I wish you happiness. Please tell Taizi that he is a monarch and my grandfather is a subject. My grandfather will abide by a subject¡¯s duties.¡±

    Liu Ruixue saw Zi You¡¯s strong refusal and was secretly relieved. She revealed an embarrassed smile.

    She wanted to say something, but saw that Zi You reverted back to her cold appearance and couldn¡¯t help but finally say the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, You¡¯er. In fact, I knew that if I said such words, I may lose you as a meimei. But I still said it for my own selfish reasons. I don¡¯t have a choice. In half a year, he will be my husband. Do you know how unwilling I am to marry him?

    ¡°But I have to marry him. If I don¡¯t marry him, I only have two paths. I either be a nun ormit suicide. No matter which I choose, it will be a blow to my parents and Duke Anguo fu. You¡¯er, he is not a good man. He really isn¡¯t. I hope that you can understand the difficulties behind what I said.¡±

    Liu Ruixue had not finished speaking, but her eyes turned red again.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t bear to me her anymore. In fact, she couldn¡¯t say how Liu Ruixue was wrong.

    As she said, Taizi was about to be her husband. Zi You couldn¡¯t ask her to abandon her husband and family for the sake of their friendship.

    Zi You¡¯s earlier anger was because Liu Ruixue did not tell her the truth. Now that she opened up and told her about her difficulties, it proved that she wasn¡¯t a true viin.

    Not only was she not a viin, but even if she was, Zi You felt that a viin was still better than a hypocrite.

    But from then on, Zi Youpletely gave up on the idea of telling Liu Ruixue about Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s matter. In this lifetime, she had already decided that she would rather wrong the whole world, than have the world wrong her. Even a friend could not.

    Back at home, Old General Mu was not assured. When she returned, he quickly pulled her into the study and asked worriedly, ¡°Why did De Fei summon you into the Pce?¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t want her grandfather to worry, so she quickly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather. She wanted me to treat Second Wangzi¡¯s paralysis. I refused.¡±

    Old General Mu let out a sigh of relief. He said, ¡°You did the right thing. You must not agree. Let¡¯s not mention that men and women should maintain distance. But just because he is a wangzi, you cannot treat his injury.¡±

    There were some things that Old General Mu did not say to Zi You. Second Wangzi was inexplicably hurt and it was unclear how it happened. The Emperor had many sons, but there was only one throne. In the battle over it, it would be a lie to say that there were no casualties.

    Old General Mu was patriotic and upright, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was a fool. He didn¡¯t want his granddaughter to think about the imperial family anymore.

    Old General Mu thought of this and said to Zi You, ¡°Stay away from the imperial family. None of them are simple. There¡¯s also Duke Anguo fu. Although that¡¯s your aunt¡¯s cousin¡¯s family, your godsister is going to marry Taizi as cefei. Don¡¯t get too close to her. It¡¯s better to maintain some distance.¡±

    Zi You was afraid that her grandfather would worry, so before she went to Duke Anguo fu, she sent Shuiyun back to tell her grandfather about her whereabouts. That¡¯s why Old General Mu mentioned this.

    Zi You immediately nodded obediently. ¡°I know, grandfather. I will try to go to Duke Anguo fu less.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Zi You wanted to hide what she was doing from Old General Mu. Old General Mu had the ability to lead the army to fight on the battlefield. He could scheme and plot on the battlefield, but how could he know how to do that in courtyards and the Pce? How could he be the opponent of imperial descendants who grew up fighting and scheming in the Pce?

    When Zi You thought about how her grandfather and uncle both died for the country in her previous life, she was filled with disgust and resentment even against the current Emperor.

    She made up her mind. She was going to cause chaos in the imperial family. Only if they fought bitterly would they not have time to pay attention to her grandfather. That¡¯s how their General¡¯s Manor could stay standing.

    The smile on Zi You¡¯s face became more docile. She nestled her small body in her grandfather¡¯s arms. She smiled sweetly and cutely, ¡°Grandfather, You¡¯er is also a soldier now. Don¡¯t treat You¡¯er like a child, okay?¡±

    After joking for a bit, Zi You went to Wang Yiping¡¯s courtyard, Yiping Ju.

    This woman seemed a lot more honest on the surface now. But it didn¡¯t need to be mentioned how much hatred existed in her heart. Zi You was quite clear on this point and Wang Yiping and Duke Yongnan furen¡¯s plot.

    Zi You estimated that the plot would soon be carried out. This was just the calm before the storm. The Spring Festival was almost here. Her g father was about to return. Shui YouLian¡¯sst letter said, ¡°Bieqie is more than two months pregnant and cannot serve Laoye. Laoye has named a Sixth Yiniang in Quanzhou. Bieqie is afraid that he will bring her back.¡±

    Zi You wondered kind of expression Wang Yiping would have when she saw the pregnant Fifth Yiniang and the sweet and delicate Sixth Yiniang. Should she tell her ahead of time and make her stressed? It could also speed up her plot.

    Otherwise, she and her grandfather would go up into the mountains to train soldiers. It would take at least half a year.

    ¡°Bieqie pays respects to Xiaojie. Is Xiaojie going to Furen¡¯s courtyard to visit Furen?¡± As Zi You was thinking, she encountered Second Yiniang and Third Yiniang.

    The two curtsied to her. It was Second Yiniang, the only person who had a Shu son from the first household, who asked the question.

    It was unclear if Mu YingRui was oversexed that led to his ineffective sperm. He had a lot of women, but not many children. Now that Zi You was studying medicine, she finally understood that when men did that too much, sperm count would decline and women were less likely to conceive.

    He was really reaping what he sowed. Zi You looked at the Shu son next to Second Yiniang. He had his head lowered and not as clever as uncle¡¯s sons. She secretly sneered in ridicule, but had a faint smile on her face. ¡°Second Yiniang and Third Yiniang just left mother¡¯s ce with brother?¡±

    Although Second Yiniang and Third Yiniang were Mu YingRui¡¯s concubines and of an older generation than Zi You, they still had the statuses of servants. Zi You was a master. Old General Mu would never let his precious granddaughter curtsy to lowly concubines.

    Thus, the two saw Zi You and obediently curtsied to her, albeit full of reluctance.

    Everyone in the house was afraid of Old General Mu being unhappy. Therefore, they were even a bit timid when they see Zi You.

    All the servants felt their backs turn cold when they see her, especially after Zi You recovered from her illness. They always felt that her eyes were like a bottomless deep pool. If they weren¡¯t careful, they could be sucked in.

    Second Yiniang was the most scheming among all the yiniangs. When she saw Furen being defeated again and again, she also felt Zi You¡¯s abnormality. She always felt that Zi You with a cold and light smile who didn¡¯t show any anger or joy was more terrifying than the Xiaojie who used to wear all her emotions on her face.

    Second Yiniang did not dare to snub her and hurriedly replied, ¡°Bieqie heard that Laoye sent a letter back. We wanted to ask when Laoye will return.¡±

    Zi Youzily asked, ¡°Oh? So mother told you?¡±

    Second Yiniang was so angry that the handkerchief in her hand was twisted. She angrily and coldly smiled. ¡°How could she tell us? We¡¯re really unlucky. We didn¡¯t say anything, but was lectured by Furen.¡±

    Zi You deliberatelyforted loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry at mother, Second Yiniang. Mother must be feeling bad! She married father earlier than Fifth Yiniang. But now Fifth Yiniang is pregnant. And father also named a Sixth Yiniang. Please understand mother¡¯s feelings! Go with Fourth Yiniang tomorrow tofort mother.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words were tantamount to an exploding bomb. The two women were stunned silly. Even after Zi You left, they did not react.

    Second Yiniang had a Shu son, so she was in a better situation. But Third Yiniang had no children, so how could she befortable? She said angrily and fiercely to Second Yiniang, ¡°Whomever Laoye wants to favor is Laoye¡¯s decision. It¡¯s not something we can control. Why is she taking it out on us? If she has the ability, she should have went with Laoye to take up the post and get pregnant too. Why take it out on us unfortunate people?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Second Yiniang pulled her son over and echoed in disdain, ¡°She can¡¯t conceive, but res in despise at my son. She¡¯s more vicious that the first furen. No wonder Lao TaiYe doesn¡¯t like her. Let¡¯s go tell the news Xiaojie told us to Forth Yiniang. We¡¯ll vent our anger tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 134 Slag Father Names Another Concubine, Stepmother Changes Strategy [2]

    <h4>Chapter 134 g Father Names Another Concubine, Stepmother Changes Strategy [2]</h4>

    ¡°Okay,¡± Third Yiniang dly answered. They went towards Fourth Yiniang¡¯s courtyard. They weren¡¯t fools. Zi You¡¯sst sentence reminded them that they should band together against Furen.

    When Zi You walked into Yiping Ju, Wang Yiping was scolding her personal maidservant. Are you trying to scald me? You can¡¯t even make a cup of tea. What else can you do? Get out!¡±

    With herst abuse, she threw a cup of hot tea and its tea lid at the maidservant called Yanhong¡¯s face. Yanhong and Yenhong were confidants of Wang Yiping. When Wang Yiping got married, Yanhong was gifted to her and also prepared for Mu YingRui.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s yiniang told her, ¡°No matter what, when you¡¯re pregnant and cannot serve him, you cannot have your husband leave you and go to someone else¡¯s courtyard. You must find a way to tie him down.¡±

    But she wasn¡¯t pregnant and this Yanhong was tangled with Mu YingRui. How could she not be angry?

    When Mu YingRui was here, she didn¡¯t dare to go overboard. Now that he wasn¡¯t here, she didn¡¯t want to deal with Yanhong anymore.

    Zi You watched Yanhonge crying out holding her face. She deliberately looked sympathetic and quietly slipped her a handkerchief. She whispered, ¡°Go put a cold waterpress on your face. I will give you some burn ointment so it won¡¯t leave a scarter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Xiaojie!¡± Yanhong gratefully took Zi You¡¯s handkerchief and ran out.

    Zi You lifted the curtain and went inside. Wang Yiping didn¡¯t know that it was her and shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go out?! Why did youe back?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, mother?¡± Zi You¡¯s eyes held contempt and cynicism. She feigned concerned as she went to respectfully greet Wang Yiping. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Or did someone anger you?¡±

    That voice like a yellow warbler leaving a valley. Other than the Mu Zi You whom she hated and hoped would disappear, it could be no one else.

    The resentment in Wang Yiping¡¯s eyes shed quickly. She quickly smiled and pretended to lovingly hold Zi You¡¯s hand. She used her gentlest voice to say, ¡°Oh, You¡¯er is here. Mother is fine. That darned maidservant Yanhong angered me. She can¡¯t even make a cup of tea. I was almost scalded.¡±

    ¡°Oh......¡± Zi You seemed to suddenly understand. She deliberately smiled cutely. ¡°I was thinking that mother is unhappy because Fifth Yiniang is pregnant and father named a new yiniang. It seems that mother is more broadminded than You¡¯er thought.

    ¡°You are worthy of being a prominent family¡¯s noble xiaojie. You¡¯re definitely not like those vicious and malicious cheap women who can¡¯t be seen in public. You¡¯er is very proud to have a mother like you!¡±

    Zi You¡¯s tongue was like a sword. Every word was like a knife stabbing in Wang Yiping¡¯s heart. She pulled out the knife and stabbed it in. She pulled it out and stabbed it in again. Wang Yiping¡¯s heart was badly mutted and her throat was stifled.

    Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t say anything. Her face changed from white to ck, ck to green, and finally back to dead white. Her eyes were like the tongue of a poisonous snake¡¯s. They kept spitting out tond on Zi You¡¯s body.

    If she really was a poisonous snake, it would be unknown how many times Zi You would have died already.

    How could Zi You not feel that poisonous and vicious gaze? As she was feeling secretly refreshed, her face still looked na?ve and cute.

    She looked at Wang Yiping¡¯s stomach and asked dangerously, ¡°Mother, when are you going to give birth to a small baby brother for You¡¯er? You¡¯er will definitely y with him every day.¡±

    Wang Yiping was so angry that blood rushed from her heart. She felt a fishy sweetness rush right into her throat.

    She forcibly swallowed and suppressed her anger. ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Slut! You finally broke character and can¡¯t take it anymore? Zi You hid the ridicule in her eyes and deliberately looked at her in grievance and timidity. ¡°Mother, what did You¡¯er say wrong?¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish speaking and her eyes were like two blooming ice lotuses. They were crystal clear and earth-shatteringly beautiful.

    Wang Yiping knew what her ending would be if Old General Mu found out.

    Thus, her teeth were almost gnashed. She enunciated word by word, ¡°Girls should be reserved. Don¡¯t talk about having children. If others hear it, they will say that you don¡¯t have a proper upbringing.¡±

    ¡°Whoever dares to do so, I will knock out her teeth.¡± Zi You took back her tears and extended her small jade-like fist. ¡°What kind of people are You¡¯er¡¯s father and mother? Are you people whom they can insult?¡±

    She didn¡¯t give Wang Yiping another opportunity to speak. She curtsied to leave and said, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m taking my leave now. I¡¯ll tell grandfather to find a good gynecologist to condition your body, so that you can give me a little brother soon.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯er,e back. Come back......¡± Wang Yiping jumped up from the chaise and rushed to chase Zi You.

    Cold sweat soaked through her clothes in an instant. If the gynecologist was good and knew that she couldn¡¯t conceive because of long-term use of medicine, then it was time for her to die.

    She ran in a panic to catch up to Zi You. She strongly suppressed the urge that she couldn¡¯t directly strangle Zi You. She grabbed her and panted as she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯er, your grandfather is busy. Don¡¯t bother him. When your fatheres back, mother will ask him to find a doctor.¡±

    So we can find your lover and thus, can¡¯t find anything out, right? Zi You was ck belly and stubbornly insisted on going to find her grandfather.

    In fact, she did not want to find a doctor to diagnose Wang Yiping. She was doing this to let Wang Yiping tremble with and live in fear all day long.

    So, when she heard Wang Yiping¡¯s words, she immediately pretended to hesitate for a moment. She nodded and promised, ¡°Okay. If mother needs one, you must tell You¡¯er.¡±

    Wang Yiping nodded frantically. After she saw Zi You leave, she wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. She dawdled and slowly returned to her courtyard.

    Wang Yiping saw her confidant nanny, Wei mama, whom she had sent to Duke Yingguo fu. She pulled her into the house and whispered, ¡°What did my mother say?¡±

    It turned out that she sent Wei mama to ask her actress mother how to ruin Zi You¡¯s reputation and get Zhao HongXiang to make Yu Lanxuan his main wife.

    This was something that she and Zhao HongXiang¡¯s mother Nee Chen discussed. Only Wang Yiping never thought that Nee Chen just wanted to use her to prevent Zi You from marrying into Duke Yongnan fu. She had never thought of having her son marry that lowly Shu daughter as a main wife.

    Her exact words were, ¡°If he marries a Shu woman, our fu will lose face. As for that Mu Zi You, she¡¯s too beautiful and enchanting. That¡¯s not a blessing.¡±

    In fact, Nee Chen opposed Zi You for only one reason. That was because her son and husband liked her too much. She couldn¡¯t stand the idea of the two most important men in her life looking at other women. This was jealousy. tant jealousy!

    Wei mama smiled and sent the servants away. She whispered long-windedly into Wang Yiping¡¯s ear for a long time. Then she put a paper packet of powder in Wang Yiping¡¯s hand.

    A sinister smile immediately appeared on Wang Yiping¡¯s face. She viciously said, ¡°Today, that heartless scoundrel sent me a letter to tell me that that cheap wench Shui YouLian is pregnant. He also named a Sixth Yiniang. I heard that that Sixth Yiniang is a seventh-rank Ministry of Investigation official¡¯s Shu daughter.

    ¡°When that scoundrel went to his house to drink, he immediately hooked up with that cheap woman. I¡¯m really angered to death! His father and brother are not lustful people. Howe he is so shameless?¡±

    Wei mama secretly smiled. She thought, ¡®If Laoye was like his father Old General Mu and his brother Young General Mu, how could you hook up with him? If he could do so with you, why wouldn¡¯t he do the same with other women?¡¯

    Of course, she could only think these words. In front of Wang Yiping, she still had to say pleasant-sounding words. Although Wang Yiping grew up on her milk, her son and daughter¡¯s very deeds were in Wang Yiping¡¯s hands. She had to be obedient to this xiaojie.

    Wei mama considered for a while and said to Wang Yiping in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about those two cheap wenches. Fifth Yiniang¡¯s origins are low. Even if she gives birth to a son, she won¡¯t be able to make any waves. In addition, when she returns for the Spring Festival, we will still have time to act.

    ¡°As for Sixth Yiniang, Furen doesn¡¯t need to worry even more. Her father is only a small seventh-rank official. Can a Shu daughter of such a small official be Furen¡¯s......¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a Shu daughter?¡± Wei mama did not finish speaking, but Wang Yiping was provoked and interrupted. ¡°Do you look down on me because I¡¯m Shu-born too? Tell me. Tell me!¡±

    Wang Yiping acted like she was crazy. She desperately shook Wei mama¡¯s shoulder. Her eyes were blood-red.

    Wei mama knelt down in fright. She pped herself while exining, ¡°Furen misunderstands. How can I disrespect Furen? Although Furen is Shu-born, but your appearance and talents are exceptional. You are the most favored in Duke Yingguo fu. Even the Di daughter is notparable to Furen!¡±

    The fawning calmed Wang Yiping¡¯s emotions. In fact, she knew that her nanny did not mean to despise her, but she was just ridiculed by Zi You. Plus, the word ¡°Shu-born¡± was like a buried thorn in her heart. She did not allow others to touch it.

    Wang Yiping quickly helped Wei mama up. She knew that she could not offend all of her servants. She needed them to do bad deeds!

    Wang Yiping randomly took off a not-very-good silver-colored carved orchid hairpin and handed it to Wei mama. ¡°Give it to your daughter. I¡¯m in a bad mood. I was just angered by Second Yiniang, Third Yiniang, and that darned yatou. Don¡¯t keep it in mind. Help me check on Yanhong. That yatou was sneaking around with that darned yatou and said something......¡±

    Wang Yiping whispered in Wei mama¡¯s ear for a long time. The two people¡¯s sneaky expressions were like a pair of specters that hid the dark because they couldn¡¯te out into the light.

    Actually, Wang Yiping did not see Zi You and Yanhong talking. She merely saw that Yanhong left and Zi You came in afterwards. She was suspicious and afraid that Yanhong moved over to Zi You¡¯s side.

    It was nighttime. Zi You knew that he would certainlye tonight, so she told Weishali early on, ¡°If An Wang Shizies, don¡¯t stop him. Let hime in.¡±

    So, when Shangguan LingRan saw that no small animals stopped him that night, he was so happy that his frosty expression disappeared. He ran over to Zi You and acted spoiled. ¡°You¡¯er, are you waiting for me? It seems like you originally not weing me has turned into you hoping that I wille. This is great. When they say that sincerity splits open metal, they were talking about me.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s pair of deep purple eyes filled with ridicule and helplessness. She huffily looked at him. ¡°I really doubt if you¡¯re pretending to be Heartless Gongzi. How can such a heartless person be as childish as you?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan did not get angry, but smiled devilishly and charmingly. ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? Thene with me to Emei Mountain and my Xuanyuan Sect. See if I lied to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m toozy to talk to you.¡± Zi You coldly turned her head away. She was afraid of being immersed in that devilishly charming smile.

    She feigned indifference. ¡°Why did youe here tonight?¡±

    ¡°Why did De Fei summon you into the Pce?¡± Shangguan LingRan¡¯s devilishly charming smile was finally reced by a worried and concerned expression. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that Shangguan Boyu is interested in you too. If so, I have to really think about how to make him remember that he cannot covet another peron¡¯s woman!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan did not look like a happy-go-lucky dandy when he spoke thest sentence. His body was shrouded in ayer of frost, like an overbearing thousand-year-old snow-capped mountain.

    This appearance was very consistent with the Heartless Gongzi whom Jianghu depicted.

    Zi You¡¯s heart jumped. She unconsciously exined, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. De Fei summoned me into the Pce because......¡±

    ¡°Because she wants you to cure her son¡¯s paralysis, right?¡± Shangguan LingRan was not stupid. He immediately guessed De Fei¡¯s real motive.

    Zi You nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did you agree?¡± Shangguan LingRan looked nervously at Zi You. He didn¡¯t want the woman whom he liked to have any contact with other men.

    In particr, there was inevitable skin contact with treating injuries. As soon as he thought of Zi You¡¯s soft and small pair of hands stopping on other men¡¯s bodies, he would go crazy. How could he tolerate Zi You treating them?

    The thing he really wanted to do now was to slice off all of Zhao HongXiang¡¯s body parts that had been touched by Zi You.

    In the same line of thought, he didn¡¯t want Zi You to touch Second Wangzi¡¯s body.

    Zi You naturally did not know what he was thinking. She answered without concealing anything. ¡°I refused in public, but secretly agreed. However, I did not agree on a ce or time of treatment. It¡¯s up to him to avoid other people¡¯s eyes and notice. I want to see if he is worthy for me to treat him.¡±

 Chapter 135 Closing the Door to Her Heart

    <h4>Chapter 135 Closing the Door to Her Heart</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan was as if he was immersed in a pickled vegetable jar. His voice was cold and eerie. ¡°So what if he¡¯s worth it? What if he¡¯s not worth it?¡±

    A bright smile appeared on Zi You¡¯s face, like the moon breaking out of the clouds. It instantly illuminated the room and casted a bright light on the flowers in the room. ¡°If he¡¯s worthy, I will make him stand up again. If he¡¯s unworthy, then he can¡¯t me me for being heartless.¡±

    ¡°I forbid it!¡± Shangguan LingRan shed in front of Zi You like lightning.

    Although Zi You¡¯s qinggong was proficient like Old General Mu and Mu YingYi, she was still shocked by his speed.

    She feigned anger coquettishly, ¡°On what basis do you forbid it?¡±

    ¡°This.¡± Shangguan LingRan looked into Zi You¡¯s purple eyes that held a bit of banter. Although her tone held me, it had the vor of her acting spoiled. He was ted.

    He originally had feelings for this little yatou. Even when she had an icy-cold appearance, he couldn¡¯t resist and wanted to get close to her. Now that her tone was sweet and cute and attractive, how could he hold on?

    He stepped forwards and imprisoned Zi You in his warm embrace. He bent down to kiss the long-awaited pair of soft and fragrant pink petal lips.

    Thest time, it was an unintentional kiss. That wonderful taste still made him think about it. Many times when he couldn¡¯t sleep at night, he would smile foolishly.

    Now that he had such an opportunity again, he didn¡¯t want to let go of the chance to sample that wonderful taste, no matter what.

    Zi You felt her body tense. She had not reacted yet, when she fell into a warm and broad embrace. A pair of warm and soft lipsnded on her lips. A man¡¯s unique smell and a touch of bamboo scent also blew.

    Zi You¡¯s heart jumped. She looked up into a pair of phoenix eyes heavy with feelings.

    The phoenix eyes were deep like a pool of water, as if they wanted to drown her. They were also like a pair of shining stars illuminating her heart.

    Zi You¡¯s heart hammered like a drum. Her brain was suddenly nk. She actually didn¡¯t even reach out to push Shangguan LingRan away.

    Shangguan LingRan could not help but be ecstatic. He held Zi You¡¯s soft and fragrant little body and was foolishly happy.

    Although this fellow lingered in the red-light district all day, he was extremely obsessed about cleanliness. Let¡¯s not mention how he hadn¡¯t done such an intimate act with another woman, but if any woman touched his clothes, he would go back and wash himself inside and out for a long time. And the clothes that were touched would be discarded.

    A dandy who only knew how to y all day was only his substitute. In fact, the real Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t even know how to kiss. He only knew about a little chick pecking rice.

    But when it came to love, he didn¡¯t need anyone to teach him. Shangguan LingRan kissed Zi You twice and couldn¡¯t help but want to stick his tongue out to tease those beautiful and soft lips.

    Only, when his tongue touched Zi You, Zi You was startled like she received an electric shock. She fiercely shoved him and angrily shouted, ¡°If you keep on being a scoundrel, we are no longer allies!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan did not expect that she would lie obediently in his arms in one second, but turn into a small lion brandishing its teeth and ws in the next second.

    His heart pained and he immediately looked wounded. He acted coquettish in an aggrieved manner. ¡°Here you go again! You clearly have me in your heart, but you choose to look ice-cold. Do you know that I get hurt?¡±

    How could Shangguan LingRan know how Zi You was feeling? For a moment, she really wanted to fall into that warm embrace and didn¡¯t want to wake up. But her previous life¡¯s sufferings immediately followed and reminded her that ¡°gentleness is poisonous!¡±

    Zhao HongXiang once held her in his arms like that. He made an extravagant and embellished oath. And what was the result?

    So, she had vowed that she would close the door to her heart in this lifetime and not open it to anyone. Even if Shangguan LingRan¡¯s embrace was warmer and broader, it wasn¡¯t a ce that she could stay. He was the Emperor¡¯s nephew and guarded against by the Emperor. When she thought that her family needed her protection, she soon extinguished the flower of feelings in her heart and returned to her most rational state.

    Zi You looked coldly at Shangguan LingRan and his phoenix eyes. He stared at her without blinking. His eyes didn¡¯t have the previous free, easy, and confidence. Instead, they contained helplessness, sullenness, sadness, loss, and deep affection. Her heart felt like someone stabbed it. She had not experienced this kind of pain even when Zhao HongXiang had hurt her so deeply in her previous life.

    Zi You forcefully suppressed the pain and throbbing in her heart. Her face was expressionless as she said, ¡°If you want to be allies, don¡¯t do these useless things. If you don¡¯t, you can leave now. I will never stop you. I will find another ally.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her expression and knew that she tightly closed the sliver of window into her soul again. He really did not understand why she was like this. He wanted to exin to her, but knew that this wasn¡¯t the time.

    Thus, he could only suppress the sourness in his heart and walked over helplessly to Zi You. He cautiously said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you won¡¯t ept me. But I can wait for you to think if your heart has me in it. I want to tell you that I can also give you Zhao HongXiang¡¯s wholehearted devotion. What he cannot give you; I can give to you too. If you do not believe me, I will ept any of your tests.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s heart was like a pool of water without waves. A big rock was thrown into it caused endless ripples. It didn¡¯t calm down for a long time.

    She pushed the window open as if she wanted to borrow the cold north wind to blow out the heat in her heart and calm herself down.

    After a few minutes, she said, ¡°I will help cure Second Wangzi¡¯s paralysis. It¡¯s too lonely if only Taizi and Third Wangzi fight. It is only lively if more people fight. Don¡¯t do anything to Taizi yet. Don¡¯t let them doubt you. I will find a way to let Third Wangzi know about Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s scandal. Wait for my news!¡±

    She closed the window and turned around. She coughed and her face was light as she said, ¡°If somethinges up, have Xiaoqing or Xiaohui notify me. Don¡¯te here yourself. Men and women should maintain distance. If grandfather finds out......¡±

    ¡°No one can interfere in what I want to do.¡± Zi You hadn¡¯t finished speaking, but Shangguan LingRan interrupted her. He picked up his sable cloak from the coat rack. A cold wind blew and he whooshed by her.

    Zi You looked in the direction that he disappeared from and didn¡¯t turn away for a long time.

    It was not destined to be a quiet night. Zi You tossed and turned and was unable to sleep. Shangguan LingRan was the same. He could feel that Zi You had him in her heart, but he did not understand why she would rather be engaged to Zhao HongXiang, whom she hated to the extreme, rather than give him a chance?

    Could it be what he thought? She was afraid that if An Wang fu and General¡¯s Manor, both who held military power, reunited in marriage, that would attract the Emperor¡¯s fear that they would rebel? If so, what should he do?

    Also, what could he do to make the Emperor and his sons stop eyeing the little yatou so greedily?

    The people who had insomnia that night were also Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Shangguan Lingluo.

    When Second Wangzi remembered that Zi You promised to treat his injury, he saw hope in her eyes for some reason. Once he thought that he could stand up again and be an upright and dignified man, he was too excited to sleep.

    Taizi had no women to serve him for the first time that night. In fact, Shangguan Lingluo hade to entangle with him in the evening.

    But the weird thing was when he saw Shangguan Lingluo seductively dressed and made up, for some reason, Zi You¡¯s elegant and exquisite appearance would appear in his mind.

    So, Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s hands, tongue, and small mandarin-sized *** teasing him did not make him stir.

    Finally, he became angry at Shangguan Lingluo for the first time in such a situation. ¡°Don¡¯t it anymore! It hurts. Don¡¯t stay here tonight. Leave. I want to be alone tonight.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo was so angry that she almost fainted away! She had already guessed why Taizi was tired.

    In front of the Pce today, when she smiled seductively at the imperial guards, they obediently told her everything about how Taizi struggled to entangle with Mu Zi You.

    At this time, she must be an idiot if she believed in Taizi¡¯s words of: ¡°Baby, everything I do for Mu Zi You is not because I love her. It¡¯s for her grandfather¡¯s military power. Don¡¯t misunderstand. Once I obtain Old General Mu¡¯s military power, I won¡¯t be afraid of even Fuwang.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo had changed from a Gongzhu whose Mufei died and who was helpless and without support, whom even the attendants could ridicule to a favored Gongzhu more favored than those with Mufeis. No one dared to offend her. She was second only to Taizi in terms of power. Everything relied heavily on Taizi and the Empress.

    In order to obtain Taizi and the Empress¡¯ support, she didn¡¯t hesitate to gouge her flesh out to make medicine for the Empress when she was sick.

    When she learned that although Taizi seemed elegant and gentlemanly, but was actually a lecherous person, she even snuck into brothels to learn how prostitutes pleased their customers.

    She had seeded. Taizi had many women. She wasn¡¯t the most beautiful or the gentlest, but she was the most favored.

    The reason was because Taizi liked stimtion. She could stimte Taizi in ways that the other women could not.

    Shangguan Lingluo thought of their first time and Taizi¡¯s madness:from the early pain to heavenly pleasure. How could she fall asleep now? She called her confidant bodyguard over and soon, the two people entangled together like snakes.

    As Shangguan Lingluo was passionately venting her beastly desires, Taizi was feeling regretful over his mistake.

    Shangguan Lingluo relied on his favor and didn¡¯t listen to him more and more. She first used the bodyguards whom he gave her to disguise as criminals to assassinate Mu Zi You.

    Now, she wanted to entangle with him every day. She got jealous even when he went to sleep with Taizifei.

    The shameless woman could indeed bring him stimtion that other women could not. Her bed skills were good. She was willing to do anything. In her eyes, there were no moral constraints. As long as it felt good, she could do anything.

    This did indeed bring him temporary stimtion. But with the passage of time, the stimulus could no longer excite him. There was only worry and fear left.

    He feared that this darned woman would crazily bother him in public. Then his image of a gentleman, maintained with difficulty, would bepletely damaged.

    He was worried that she would do something crazy like try to assassinate Zi You out of jealousy likest time.

    That would not only destroy his entire n, but also cause the loss of a woman whom he liked.

    Yes, the more Zi You refused him, the more Taizi was addicted to her and couldn¡¯t let her go.

    This was probably all men¡¯s true natures. They would not cherish what they had. But what they couldn¡¯t get was always the best.

    Taizi was tossing and turning in his bed, like a pancake cooking. He finally couldn¡¯t sleep and summoned Darong Ka.

    His handsome eyes were ferocious as hemanded, ¡°Find a way to make Shangguan Lingluo leave me. As long as you can make her leave me, you can do what you want with her.¡±

    Taizi knew that Darong Ka had long coveted Shangguan Lingluo. Darong Ka often peeped on them when they illicitly met.

    Shangguan Lingluo was a noble Gongzhu, but often did lewd andscivious acts that only prostitutes did to stimte Taizi. Darong Ka had long been fascinated by this. He had wanted to sample Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s vor.

    Now that he heard Taizi say that, a dark light shed in his small eyes. His saliva almost dripped out. ¡°Rest assured, Taizi. Leave her to Nucai.¡±

    It was almost the New Year. Mu YingRui brought back Shui YouLian, who was three and a half months pregnant, and the newly named Sixth Yiniang, Hua Rongrong back.

    Second Wangzi just had someone send Zi You a letter.

    Zi You read the letter and smiled. This Second Wangzi unexpectedly opened a medical clinic in order not to have anyone find out that Zi You was going to treat him.

    The medical clinic¡¯s shopkeeper was surnamed Xie. He was sent by De Fei¡¯s maiden family. He was very smart and very loyal. He also had some medical knowledge.

    The key point was that he was a new face. No one would suspect him if he opened a medical clinic in the capital.

    Second Wangzi¡¯s idea was pretty good. Shopkeeper Xie just came to the capital. He had no foundation, so in order to gain a foothold, he needed the support of the capital¡¯s nobles and officials.

    Thus, Shopkeeper Xie found out that Mu Xiaojie wanted to form a female medical team. To express his support, he took the initiative to suggest to Old General Mu, ¡°Old General Mu, although I am a man, I still deeply admire Mu Xiaojie. I am also a citizen of Great Yan and have a patriotic heart. I am willing to give my newly-opened Yichun Hall as the ce for the female medical team to practice their medical skills.¡±

    Everyone knew that theoretical knowledge was not enough to improve medical skills. Practical experience was very important. How could one¡¯s medical skills improve if one didn¡¯t touch a patient?

 Chapter 136 Necessary for the Wives and Concubines to Fight

    <h4>Chapter 136 Necessary for the Wives and Concubines to Fight</h4>

    Other than Zi You, Second Wangzi, and Shangguan LingRan, even Old General Mu did not know the truth of this matter. He really thought that Shopkeeper Xie was moved by his granddaughter.

    He immediately reported this matter to the Emperor. ¡°Emperor, you are wise! Your approval of Chen¡¯s granddaughter forming the female medical team has positively affected the public. Yesterday, someone went to find Chen......¡±

    The Emperor was someone used to acting. After Old General Mu told him what happened, the Emperor immediately summoned Shopkeeper Xie.

    Shopkeeper Xie spoke more emotionally when the Emperor summoned him. ¡°Emperor, thismoner is lowly, but is still a man. Thismoner had not thought about joining the army, but a delicate female like Mu Xiaojie has. Once thismoner thought about Mu Xiaojie abandoning her reputation and an easy life for her family and the country, thismoner is ashamed.

    ¡°Providing a medical clinic for the female medical doctors as a ce to practice their medical skills is really not too much. Thismoner wants to establish a free clinic to provide free medical services for those who can¡¯t afford it when thismoner has more money in the future.¡±

    ¡°En. Mu Xiaojie is admirable indeed.¡± The Emperor thought of that calm, slender, and beautiful figure, and smiled very ambiguously, making Old General Mu¡¯s heart jump in fear.

    The result was what Second Wangzi thought. The Emperor immediately issued a decree. He designated Yichun Hall as the sole ce for the female medical team to practice their medical skills. He also said to Shopkeeper Xie, ¡°Your vision is good. Zhen is also very worried that Zhen¡¯s citizens can¡¯t afford to seek medical treatment. Your proposal solved a very worrying matter for Zhen.

    ¡°A free clinic is a good idea! Zhen will not let you be responsible for all the expenses for the citizens to see a doctor. Every year, Zhen will send you some medical herbs from the Imperial Hospital.¡±

    The Emperor calcted very well. The medicine warehouse would clean up a number of herbs that had been stored too long, expired, damp, or deteriorated. If he gave a portion of these herbs to the free clinic, even if Shopkeeper Xie was beaten to death, he wouldn¡¯t dare to take all the credit for the free clinic.

    He would certainly say, ¡°This is what the Emperor has done for the sake of his citizens. The medical herbs are free for the citizens. The Emperor is always thinking of you. The person you should thank is the Emperor and not me.¡±

    Using expired medicine to exchange for the people¡¯s gratitude. This transaction was really a bargain.

    This was the good luck that Mu Zi You brought to Zhen. If she didn¡¯t form a female medical team, then there would be no Shopkeeper Xie to form a free clinic. Zhen doesn¡¯t even need to send a lot of imperial doctors. As long as there are one or two imperial doctors around Mu Zi You¡¯s female medical team to help treat citizens, all of the credit will be given to Zhen.

    If anything happens, then the me can all be pushed onto Shopkeeper Xie. Zhen will say that he used deteriorated medicinal herbs and reced the court¡¯s good medicine with that in his free clinic.

    If the citizens need to look for someone to me, then they wouldn¡¯t me Zhen. The one they scold will definitely be Shopkeeper Xie.

    Old General Mu and Shopkeeper Xie naturally did not know the Emperor¡¯s sinister thoughts. They expressed thousands of gratitude, before they bowed and left.

    When he returned, Shopkeeper Xie reported the matter of the Emperor summoning him to Second Wangzi. After a discussion, the two people were very happy.

    Second Wangzi thought that he would reveal at thest critical moment that he was the real owner behind Yichun Hall. Then he would establish prestige in the hearts of the citizens.

    Second Wangzi thought of this and immediately said to Shopkeeper Xie, ¡°Build the free clinic now. If you need money, Benwangzi will think of a way.¡±

    When Old General Mu told Zi You the Emperor¡¯s intentions, she immediately guessed the Emperor¡¯s dirty thoughts.

    She coldly smiled and did not tell her grandfather. They were about to celebrate the holidays. She didn¡¯t want her grandfather to be in fear like she was and couldn¡¯t even celebrate the reunion festival.

    Now, let¡¯s talk about what happened after Mu YingRui returned.

    It must be said that Wang Yiping was a very difficult opponent. After suffering a series of attacks, she quickly changed her strategy.

    It was especially so that morning. After the three yiniangs ridiculed her, she immediately guessed that the three banding together had something to do with Zi You encountering Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang in the garden that day.

    She was alone without support now. It was even difficult to establish a foothold in the General¡¯s Manor, so how could she actually punish the concubines and that dirty cheap wench?

    There was also her fickle husband. If she could not get this heart back and be pregnant with a child, then everything was empty talk.

    Wang Yiping was contemting, so her performance when Mu YingRui returned with Fifth Yiniang and Sixth Yiniang that day, greatly surprised Zi You.

    To be exact, this woman¡¯s actions made Zi You felt that she was acting unusually.

    The three yiniangs¡¯ cold ridicule actually did not anger Wang Yiping. She actually did not vent her anger like Zi You envisioned. This was unexpected to Zi You.

    Little spirit mouse Xiaobai soon told her what happened that day.

    As she thought, the three yiniangs went to pay respects to Wang Yiping early that day. Second Yiniang first stoked the fire. ¡°Furen, I heard that we have a new meimei. We really have to congratte Furen!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Fourth Yiniang followed and said, ¡°Not only do we have a new meimei, but Xiaojie will soon get a new brother. The holidays are almost here too. It¡¯s really a celebration of three events. It¡¯s really worthy of celebration!¡±

    Third Yiniang looked at the discontented Wang Yiping and remembered how she was scolded for no reason yesterday. She mercilessly ridiculed, ¡°Perhaps when Laoye returns this time, Furen can conceive. If so, that is really four things to celebrate.¡±

    If she heard this innuendo in the past, Wang Yiping would certainly hop with rage, but this time, she actually did not attack the three people. Instead, she faintly sighed and cried two crocodile tears. ¡°I know that I¡¯m usually a little harsh on you, but that¡¯s because I was used by someone with ulterior motives. I am apologizing to you all here today.

    ¡°Let us sisters get along well in the future. Let¡¯s notpete with each other anymore. Especially you, Third Yiniang. You and I share the same fate. We should take care of each other.

    ¡°Now, do you feel good when you say such words to me? If we sisters fight like this, won¡¯t we let the new outsiders be proud? Laoye will be back soon. He will only stay about a month. Sisters should think of how to make Laoye stay. Or think about how to obtain Xiaojie¡¯s favor. That can also give Lao TaiYe a good impression.¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s words made the three yiniangs feel a sense of sympathy. They not only didn¡¯t attack her anymore, but pondered over what she said.

    ¡°Used by someone with ulterior motives.¡± Who was this person? They thought of Wang Yiping¡¯sst meaningful sentences and immediately put the me on Zi You.

    They agreed that Zi You was so young, but she was so insidious and vicious. She incited them to fight with Wang Yiping and incited Wang Yiping to fight with them.

    As a result, the rtionship among the three yiniangs and Wang Yiping reached an unprecedented harmony now.

    Wang Yiping had always treated Zi You as well as if she was her biological mother. She made new clothes for her, ordered custom jewelry, and organized invitation cards, prepared to invite Zi You¡¯s friends over as guests for the New Year.

    All this kindness made Zi You think of the idiom, ¡°One who is ountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions.¡±

    It was exactly as Zi You guessed. Wang Yiping was indeed brewing a big conspiracy. She was just waiting for Mu YingRui to return before she implemented it.

    Wang Yiping knew that without that man¡¯s support, Old General Mu wouldpletely ignore anything that she said.

    But Mu YingRui was different. He was Mu Zi You¡¯s biological father. A biological father could make any decisions regarding his biological daughter. Even if Old General Mu disagreed, it was the father and son fighting. It would have nothing to do with her.

    With such an idea in mind, on the day that Mu YingRui was returning, Wang Yiping changed into the bright red color that only main wives could wear. She had an elegant and light style.

    She originally had a weak and enchanting allure about her. She appeared like a small white flower, but was, in fact, a vicious poisonous snake.

    On the day that Mu YingRui came back, Wang Yiping had on a in silver brocade white fox fur cloak. It enveloped almost her entire body. Only her green lotus-shaped skirt was revealed. It swayed with her every step.

    Her ck hair was rolled into a Chaoyun bun. She only had on a gold iid jade hairpin. The hairpin had a few crystal clear jade beads on top. They gently fluttered in the wind. It was a very picturesque and poetic sight.

    She lightly curtsied to Mu YingRui. She tearfully and prettily said, ¡°Bieqie pays respects to Laoye and wishes Laoye good fortune! Laoye, you¡¯re finally back.¡±

    Sure enough, Mu YingRui thought that this elegant and pure beauty was far superior to his other concubines.

    Distance produced beauty! In regards to appearance, Shui YouLian won over Wang Yiping. But she was now pregnant. Her jade-like skin had spots now. In Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯tpare to the current Wang Yiping.

    The scratch marks that Zi You left on Wang Yiping¡¯s face were covered with powder. It appeared that her skin was whiter than Shui YouLian¡¯s.

    Second, Third, and Fourth Yiniang were older than Wang Yiping. Sixth Yiniang was someone whom he looked at for the past three months. How could theypare to Wang Yiping¡¯s novelty and freshness and whom he had not seen for half a year?

    He hurried over and personally helped her up. He looked lecherously at her and said nauseatingly, ¡°Furen has worked hard! But you still have time to yearn for me!¡±

    Once he said that, Wang Yiping was proud. Her face pretended to be bashful and she red at Mu YingRui.

    Only, this nce was alluring and seductive and almost sucked out Mu YingRui¡¯s soul.

    He left behind everything and the other yiniangs. He put his arm around Wang Yiping and walked into her living quarters. They entangled for a while. ¡°Good! Baby, Ye missed you so much......¡±

    ¡°Ye......¡± Wang Yiping panted and gasped. ¡°The other sisters are still outside......¡±

    When the nauseating sounds spread outside, the faces of all the other yiniangs¡¯ changed.

    This was especially true for Sixth Yiniang. She thought that since Wang Yiping was Duke Yingguo¡¯s daughter, even if she was a Shu daughter, she would certainly be elegant and proper. How could she think that Wang Yiping was so frivolous?

    Although she was wearing elegant and refined clothing, it could not cover up that her every move and word revealed a seductive allure.

    To be honest, even she, a Shu daughter of a small seventh-rank official, was more dignified than Wang Yiping. In what way did she look like a noble and prominent family¡¯s main wife? She was more like a prostitute. No wonder Laoye was so flirtatious when he saw her.

    Sixth Yiniang angrily pierced her fingernails into her palm. The pain in her hands couldn¡¯tpare to the pain in her heart. She cursed Wang Yiping and hated that she couldn¡¯t curse her out loud.

    The other three yiniangs were secretly cursing nonstop too. What nice-sounding words to let them take turns serving Laoye. Now, as soon as Laoye entered the door, she used a demoness¡¯ techniques to seduce him away.

    Only Fifth Yiniang stood at the very back and looked coldly at everything, as if it had nothing to do with her at all.

    She was extremely disappointed in Mu YingRui after going with him to take up his post in these past three months.

    One could say that he had no talent, but could not say that he was not handsome. But his character was not praiseworthy. One could ignore that he was lecherous, but he was also a corrupt official.

    If not for Butler Zhou repeatedly advising him, she didn¡¯t know how much trouble would havee up.

    Shui YouLian quietly went to Zi You and told her everything that Mu YinRui did and encountered while on the road.

    Then she said with red eyes, ¡°Xiaojie, I was also a daughter of an official. If my father was not corrupt, I would not be in this situation today. Once a person has greed, it is really a terrible thing. Xiaojie, after the holiday, I don¡¯t want to follow Laoye to take up his post again to live out dreadful days. I already have a child. I have to think for his sake.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t speak of these things to anyone else. Only, you know what to say to those yiniangs right?¡± Zi You asked and nodded in agreement to Shui YouLian¡¯s request.

    Her mission was to stop Mu YingRui from bringing Wang Yiping when he took up his post and to fight with her for favor.

    Now that she was pregnant, she wanted to think for the sake of her child and stay away from trouble to avoid her child being harmed. That was understandable.

    Only, Zi You still needed Shui YouLian to fan the mes among the yiniangs.

    Shui YouLian was not stupid. Zi You lightly advised and she already understood what she had to do.

    She bowed and replied, ¡°I understand. Rest assured, Xiaojie. As long as you can keep me and my child safe, I will do whatever Xiaojie says.¡±

    Zi You smiled in satisfaction. It was easier to speak with an intelligent person.

    Sure enough, when Shui YouLian handed out presents to the yiniangs, she also offered her ¡°ancestral¡± (In fact, Zi You gave it to her) prescription that led to easy conception.

    She smiled particrly sincerely, ¡°Jiejies, meimei is pregnant now, so I understand your feelings even more. Of course, the more children are in the fu, the better it is. This prescription is passed down in my family. Of course, you don¡¯t have to believe itpletely. It¡¯s best to find a doctor to ask about it.

    ¡°Medication is one thing, but Laoye¡¯s cooperation is the most critical. Laoye is not back for a long period of time. You have to seize this opportunity and not miss it.

    ¡°In Quanzhou, I noticed that otheroyes will make preparations ahead of time before he visits his concubines. I heard that the previous furen also did this. Why don¡¯t jiejies and Furen...... Meimei wishes jiejies to have children soon!¡±

 Chapter 137 The Cause of Second Wangziâ€™s Paralysis

    <h4>Chapter 137 The Cause of Second Wangzi¡¯s Paralysis</h4>

    With Shui YouLian¡¯s reminder, Second Yiniang remembered Dier¡¯s tolerance. ¡°Fifth Yiniang ispletely right. The previous furen arranged it by days. Even the first and fifteenth of every month were given to us sisters. Why does the current Furen monopolize Laoye now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Third Yiniang did not have children, so she was the most anxious and the first one to agree. ¡°We should go remind Furen. She said that we should share good fortune. She can¡¯t lie to us.¡±

    Fourth Yiniang only had a daughter. Of course, she wanted a son. She immediately nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go tell Furen tonight, lest she forgets all about us when she sees Laoye.¡±

    So, on the night that Mu YingRui returned, the first household¡¯s concubines waged a war of saliva over which courtyard he sleeps in on which night. It was said that it was very lively.

    Third Yiniang was a Nanjiang woman. She spoke softly with a Nanjiang woman¡¯s uniqueness and delicateness. She was mimicked by little spirit mouse Xiaoling¡¯s excellent and exciting portrayal of her.

    ¡°Xiaojie, Third Yiniang first said to Furen: ¡®Furen, Laoye finallyes back with difficulty. Shouldn¡¯t you make a n? In the beginning, we considered that you and Laoye were newlyweds, so it¡¯s fine if we suffer a little grievance. But now, you and Laoye have been married for more than a year. You can¡¯t still monopolize Laoye. We sisters can¡¯t even see Laoye¡¯s face.¡¯

    ¡°Second Yiniang follows up with, ¡®Yes...... Furen, when the previous furen was alive, she had a good method. She wrote down which courtyard Laoye was going to that night. It was distributed fairly, so there wasn¡¯t any fighting.

    ¡°Furen heard this and immediately pped the table. ¡®Nonsense! What do you think Laoye is? Whatever Laoye wants to do, is that something that you can interfere with?

    ¡°Sixth Yiniang heard this and coldly sneered as she said, ¡®Furen, what do you mean? So it¡¯s up to Laoye whom he wants to sleep with then? Sisters, since Furen said so, then we should reveal our means.

    ¡°Furen then looked at Sixth Yiniang as if she wanted to eat her.¡±

    Zi You almost couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Mu YingRui, this is the result of your lecherousness! One day, you will pay for your heartlessness towards mother and me!

    Due to the fighting over favor with the yiniangs, Wang Yiping did not have time to scheme against Zi You.

    Zi You ordered Weishali and its spirit pets, ¡°Keep an eye on that woman for me.¡±

    On the other side, she said to Liu Yanhong, who had been a rough-work maidservant for more than three months, ¡°Starting today, you will be a second-rank maidservant. Laoye is back. I will turn you back into a virgin in these few days. It is up to you how to obtain Laoye¡¯s heart. You better be obedient and don¡¯t y games with me. Otherwise, I will make you wish that you are dead. Do you understand?¡±

    Liu Yanhong thought of Zi You killing that mouse and started trembling without any color on her face.

    She nodded again and again. ¡°Rest assured, Xiaojie. Nubi will be obedient.¡±

    It will be strange if I believe you. Zi You¡¯s eyes were deep as she waved her hand to let her go out. She took advantage of this time to secretly meet Second Wangzi in Yichun Hall.

    When Second Wangzi saw Zi You this time, she was wearing a pinkish plum-colored arctic fox fur coat. It was paired with a white pleated skirt with hundreds of butterflies on it. A blooming red plum blossom beaded hairpin was in her head. Other than that, she wore no other jewelry.

    He suddenly looked away. The hair of ck ink, the jade-like elements on her body, and the simple figure already made people unable to look away. That snow-white face, with ice-cold and proud features, was as gorgeous as red plum blossoms. She was a breathtaking beauty.

    Zi You seemed to have been used to this kind of stunned gaze.

    Second Wangzi had eyes like a deep spring. He was wearing a dark blue silk-embroidered sable wool cloak, a moon white narrow-sleeved robe with silver lined auspicious clouds on the cuffs, and a dragon jade pendant hanging from his waist. The long dark green sash around his waist lightly swung in the wind. But this jade-like handsome Second Wangzi didn¡¯t even cause a ripple in Zi You¡¯s heart.

    She walked over to him and lightly said, ¡°Your outfit is too eye-catching. You will be noticed soon. Since they know that this is a ce frequented by the female medical team, your brothers will certainly watch this ce. So, please don¡¯t look to conspicuous the next time youe. Look like an ordinary patient.¡±

    Second Wangzi¡¯s handsome face turned red as if Zi You saw through his intentions. She was correct. He specially dressed up in order to give Zi You a good impression today.

    He did not expect that Zi You would see through him and even bluntly point it out.

    In fact, he did not know that it was because Zi You observed people more carefully after her previous life¡¯s experience. Her perception of people and things was a lot stronger than in the past. In short, she would not so easily form conclusions based on someone¡¯s appearance and speech now.

    For example, she had only seen Second Wangzi twice. The first time, he was like a lonely hero or more precisely, like a lone wolf.

    The second time that she had seen him, Second Wangzi¡¯s hurt, indignation, heartache, unwillingness, helplessness, and despise by others after his injury were all exposed in front of her.

    He only had one purpose. That was to elicit her sympathy andpassion so that she would promise to treat him.

    And his appearance today was to tell her how excellent he was originally?

    She guessed that if she cured his paralysis, he would use this image to face people. He would be less high-spirited than before and more low-key. He could sessfully attract the Emperor¡¯s attention again, but he would tell everyone, who threw rocks while he was down, that he did not hold a grudge.

    Zi You sneered. The imperial family did not have a single simple person.

    However, this was good too. If he was too stupid, he naturally was not qualified to be her ally.

    Zi You¡¯s voice turned colder. ¡°Second Wangzi, Chennu only has one purpose in treating you. That is to form an alliance with you. You know that Taizi and Third Wangzi are eyeing our General¡¯s Manor. So, I hope that after your paralysis is cured, you will help me keep them in check. Of course, I will try my best to get you what you want the most.¡±

    Second Wangzi did not expect that Zi You could see through his intentions and did not expect her to speak so frankly about his intentions even more. For a moment, he was so shocked that he could not speak.

    Zi You was not anxious. She satzily in a chair and lightly smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can take time to consider.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Second Wangzi¡¯s handsome face sunk. He felt very ufortable in his heart. He thought that Zi You agreed to treat him because she had a good impression of him. His heart seemed to have been infused with warm spring water and the ice that had been frozen for years had begun to quietly melt.

    But all of this had nothing to do with love. She agreed to treat him because she was looking for an ally.

    Second Wangzi did not understand how a twelve-year-old little girl could be so cold. He looked at her and said, slightly sarcastically, ¡°As long as you can cure my paralysis, I, Shangguan Boyu, will spare no effort to help Mu Xiaojie in the future. But how can Mu Xiaojie be sure that you can cure my injury? You know that this is very old injury. A lot of imperial doctors are helpless. Mu Xiaojie hadn¡¯t even taken my pulse yet, but you¡¯re already so certain?¡±

    ¡°As long as I want to, there is no illness in the world that I cannot cure,¡± Zi You said resolutely. Her eyes held confidence, like a vivid and bright cloud breaking through the sunrise, brightening Second Wangzi¡¯s dark heart.

    Zi You was not boasting because she had the ability to back her im up. In the books her mother left for her, the spiritual power that their n had could bring the dead back to life. If not, mother couldn¡¯t have saved uncle, when he was bitten by a snake, just as the poison was taking effect.

    As long as the patient had not been dered dead, that is to say, if his body¡¯s cells had not stopped working, she could save them from death.

    Zi You put a silk handkerchief over Second Wangzi¡¯s wrist. She read his pulse and the more she examined, the more her forehead tightened.

    Second Wangzi couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore. He asked, ¡°How is it, Mu Xiaojie? Can I be cured?¡±

    Zi You waved to stop his questioning. Then she focused her spiritual power to examine Second Wangzi¡¯s lumbar spine. She was very surprised and even eximed, ¡°So it¡¯s like this.¡±

    Her back faced Second Wangzi and he couldn¡¯t see her expression. At this time, her eyes were a beautiful purple, crystal clear and bright, like two ice sculptures of violet flowers.

    As if she was afraid of Second Wangzi seeing her eyes, she waited until her eyes returned to a deep purple color. Then she walked slowly to Second Wangzi. She seriously asked, ¡°Other than having no sensation below your waist, do you have any other diforts? For example, dizziness, no appetite, pain in your waist, etc?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Second Wangzi thought about the sufferings of his paralysis over the years and trembled.

    ¡°I was dizzy and nauseous in the beginning. I couldn¡¯t eat and my waist was so painful that I couldn¡¯t sleep. Later on, the symptoms decreased and the time became shorter. From four or five times a day to once a day to once every four or five days. Now, it¡¯s once every six or seven days. The doctors said that it¡¯s caused by my irritated mood. What is it? Are there any problems?¡±

    Zi You nodded. She calmly asked, ¡°When you fell off the horse, you originally had some feeling in your lower extremities. It¡¯s only afterwards that these symptoms showed up, right? Your spinal cord injury is very light. That has already recovered. You are not paralyzed. Someone has ced a gu on you.¡±

    [TL Note: ¡°Gu¡± is a legendary venomous insect created by putting various venomous creatures in a jar and each one devours the rest until one remains.]

 Chapter 138 Second Wangziâ€™s Hatred, Liu Yanhongâ€™s Happiness

    <h4>Chapter 138 Second Wangzi¡¯s Hatred, Liu Yanhong¡¯s Happiness</h4>

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Second Wangzi waspletely stunned. He looked at Zi You and asked in disbelief, ¡°What kind of gu can make me paralyzed for so many years?¡±

    ¡°From Nanjiang¡¯s Miao n. India has them too, but they¡¯re different from them.¡± Zi You looked at the gu that looked like arge spider lying dormant between Second Wangzi¡¯s third and fourth lumbar spine. But she didn¡¯t know much about this gu that affected the whole body.

    Thus, she could only shake her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know enough about gu. I can only tell you that I can help you remove the gu. But there is something I want to discuss with you. As soon as the gu is removed, the person who ced the gu will know. Taizi will soon know that your paralysis is cured. Then he will deal with you again.

    ¡°So I think the best way is for him to not know that the gu in your body has been removed. Continue pretending to be paralyzed. That way, you are in the dark while he is in the open. It will be easier for you to deal with him.

    ¡°But with this way, you need to find someone for me. Preferably a man. I will transfer the gu into his body.¡±

    Second Wangzi looked pale. He enunciated, ¡°How do you know that Taizi put the gu in me?¡±

    Zi You faintly smiled. Her smile was especially flirtatious like a blooming poppy in the night. ¡°Darong Ka, Miao ethnicity, male. He is thirty-seven years old. He is someone your Taizi gege did everything possible to bring from Nanjiang six years ago. Miaos who know gu are usually women. Very few men are proficient in the technique, but once they master it, they use it better than women. I think that this is the reason why the gu in your body is so strong.

    ¡°This Darong Ka is also a witch doctor. He dabbles in yin and yang methods, divination, martial arts, and arrays. He is a cunning and tricky character. I have fought with him before. I almost lost.¡±

    If Shangguan LingRan wasn¡¯t there......

    Second Wangzi had always suspected that he falling off his horse and being paralyzed was rted to Taizi. But it was only a guess after all. Now that it was confirmed, his anger made his blood boil and surge. He almost fainted away.

    How vicious! At that time, he was very loved and favored by Fuwang. He was a bit spoiled, but he was only twelve years old. He was still an insensible young man. He was not a big threat to Taizi. Taizi was only fourteen years then and called him ¡°second brother¡± and seemed very amiable towards him. In reality, he actually hated him so much. He hated him so much that he made Second Wangzi wish that he was dead.

    ¡°Hahaha......¡± Second Wangziughed in anger. Heughed until his face was covered in bloody tears. The pain, hatred, and resentment in his eyes made him revert back to his original form.

    He wanted to stand up from his wheelchair, but suddenly fell onto the ground. As he was lying on the ground, he gnashed his teeth as he said, ¡°Help me! As long as you can help me stand up, I can share everything I have in the future with you.¡±

    Like magic, Zi You took out a lustrous and red-tinted silk ribbon. Her jade-like hand flicked and the ribbon was like a snake and wrapped around Second Wangzi¡¯s waist. She gently waved and Second Wangzi was sitting in his wheelchair again.

    Her words seemed to be light and easy, but contained insurmountable strength. ¡°I just want you to protect my loved ones¡¯ safety! I don¡¯t want anything else. And please remember, once you stand up, never fall down again! My, Mu Zi You¡¯s, allies are not soft or ungrateful.¡±

    Since Second Wangzi became paralyzed, he felt that all the blood in his body had froze. His heart was as hard as ice.

    At this moment, he felt that a crack seemed to exist in his icy heart. It made a cracking sound. His surging blood was boiling and roaring, as if it wanted to break out of his body.

    Man yearster, when Second Wangzi dreamt about this moment, he would remember this feeling today and sigh emotionally for a long time. ¡°No one else can shock me from the depths of my soul!¡±

    Second Wangzi couldn¡¯t wait a moment longer to be able to stand up again.

    They agreed that Zi You would remove the gu the next day. Zi You then knew that he dug a tunnel from his Mufei¡¯s Lianyun Pce to Yichun Hall. He brought a man who used to be his guard, but was bribed by Taizi and the Empress. The man was one of two spies by his side.

    Zi You then knew that Second Wangzi not only knew martial arts, but that his martial arts were not weak.

    Thus, she was filled with even more confidence in treating his paralysis. But she had constantly been pouring cold water over Second Wangzi. ¡°Second Wangzi, you have to be fully mentally prepared. You have been paralyzed not for a year or two, but a full five years. The muscles in your lower limbs are atrophic due to prolonged inactivity.

    ¡°Even if you have a foundation in martial arts, you still need to carry out a series of functional recovery exercises to stand up. You have to be prepared. It will be very bitter and very painful. If you cannot stand it, even if I get rid of the gu for you, it is considered as being sessful only halfway. Can you persevere?¡±

    ¡°I can. I have to stand up!¡± Second Wangzi did not hesitate for even a second and replied firmly.

    Zi You saw a determination that could destroy everything in his burning eyes. She longer hesitated and generated her spiritual power to remove the gu. She transferred it to the guard who had fainted because of fear.

    He couldn¡¯t not faint. He saw such an ugly and huge spider filled with blood in its belly about to enter his body. Probably no one would be unafraid. Gu had always been mysterious and frightening.

    The gu removal process was very smooth. She didn¡¯t know whether it was psychological or because the gu was actually removed, but Second Wangzi felt rxed all over. He said ecstatically to Zi You, ¡°I don¡¯t feel pain anymore. And I think I have some feeling in my lower limbs.¡±

    How could it be so fast? Zi You looked at his excited face and couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint him. She merely nodded. ¡°Engage in physical therapy. With my acupuncture and medication, you should get better.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er.¡± Second Wangzi was filled with gratitude and admiration as he said to Zi You, ¡°I know that I¡¯m not worthy to promise you anything right now. But I will never let you down.¡±

    Zi You coldly smiled and didn¡¯t reply. She turned and wrote down a prescription on a piece of paper. She handed it to him. ¡°Boil this three times and take it three times a day. Don¡¯t throw the dregs away. Bathe in them for two hours a day. When I go to the mountains for training, I will give the acupuncture method to a doctor whom you trust.¡±

    Second Wangzi looked at the prescription and was in even more admiration. Great Yan¡¯s noble women generally practiced flower-like small writing. But Zi You¡¯s handwriting contained strength in softness. Her vigorous style of calligraphy did not lose out to men.

    Three dayster, Zi You performed a small operation on Liu Yanhong to repair her hymen. This was a very modern surgery. It was unheard of in ancient times and astounding.

    A lot of Dier¡¯s medical skills originated from the West. Zi You studied medical books and experimented on animals. Liu Yanhong was the first human whom Zi You operated on. Zi You treated her more like a small animal.

    Liu Yanhong had some concerns, but couldn¡¯t withstand the temptation of being General¡¯s Manor¡¯s Seventh Yiniang. She gritted her teeth and lied down on the bed.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but smile. She knew that this little yatou had higher aspirations. She hated that she was blind in her previous life and treated her like a confidant just because Liu Yanhong spoke honey-like words.

    In this lifetime, you¡¯ve fallen into my hands. If I don¡¯t make you pay the price of betraying me, then won¡¯t I be letting you off too cheaply? I can repair your hymen but from now on, every time that you have intercourse with a man, you will endure heart-piercing and gut-wrenching pain.

    Liu Yanhong didn¡¯t know her future. She was looking forward to her happy life as Seventh Yiniang. Mu YingRui was only in his thirties. He was refined, handsome, and elegant. He was also a fourth-rank prefectural magistrate. He was many times better than that useless Duke Yingguo fu¡¯s fifth Shaoye.

    If she became his Seventh Yiniang, wouldn¡¯t she be able to grab his heart with her schemes? Then there would be a son or two. Her good days woulde.

    Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Liu Yanhong didn¡¯t have any other skills, but she served Wang Yiping¡¯s actress mother and learned very well how to seduce men and harm other women with dirty methods.

    She also understood Wang Yiping. If they became love rivals, it would be strange if they didn¡¯t fight. Zi You seemed to be able to imagine the farce that the first household would put on every day. A happy purple light shed in her eyes from time to time.

    You want to hurt me? Have a taste of being betrayed by your own subordinate. This is just a small appetizer before dinner. The main meal is still toe. Wait for me!

    It must be said that Liu Yanhong was really a character. As soon as Zi You repaired her hymen, she didn¡¯t wait for the stitches to heal or listened to Zi You¡¯s advice. ¡°After your stitches are removed, slowly get close to Furen. If she asks about me, tell her the truth.¡±

    Instead, Liu Yanhong was very proactive and confident. She took the initiative to make a move. Of course, she wasn¡¯t doing it for Zi You, but for herself. A fourth-rank prefectural magistrate¡¯s Seventh Yiniang was too much of a temptation for a ve like her.

    Besides, as long as she went over to Wang Yiping and encountered Laoye, she could show off her appearance and let Wang Yiping know about her new master¡¯s [Zi You] situation. Her new master didn¡¯t object to this. But why would she object to such a good thing?

    Of course, Wang Yiping was very cautious of Liu Yanhong taking the initiative to get closer to her. When Liu Yanhong first found her, she used sending pastries as an excuse. The pastries were given to Zi You by Sixth Yiniang.

 Chapter 139 Maidservant Who Climbs Onto the Bed, Lecherous Laoye

    <h4>Chapter 139 Maidservant Who Climbs Onto the Bed, Lecherous Laoye</h4>

    A kind reader bought me coffees! Thank you for your support! Here are the promised bonus parts!

    Sixth Yiniang was a master of the inner courtyard too. She asked around a little and discovered that Xiaojie upied a status that no one could surpass in the heart of the biggest master of General¡¯s Manor: Old General Mu.

    In addition, the second household treated Xiaojie like their own child. Furen was amiable with her on the surface, but at odds with her in private. Thus, Sixth Yiniang immediately began to fawn over Zi You.

    This woman¡¯s soups couldn¡¯tpare to Wang Yiping¡¯s, but the variety of her Nanjiang pastries was very delicious. So, Zi You, Old General Mu, Nee Liu, Mu YingYi, and the two boys enjoyed a variety of delicious pastries these few days.

    Of course, Zi You was very concerned about her father and mother. She either personally or had someone to send the pastries that Sixth Yiniang gave her for her parents to taste.

    How could Wang Yiping dare to eat them? She was not only afraid to eat them, but she was angry to death. She should be the one whom the concubines should curry favor with. But those cheap women went to please that mixed breed Mu Zi You. How could she not gnash her teeth in anger?

    Thus, she was angry when Liu Yanhong carefully ced a te of plum blossom crisps in front of her and said, ¡°Xiaojie ordered Nubi to send this. Have a taste, Furen. Xiaojie said that Nubi needs to ask you if you like them. Then she can ask Sixth Yiniang to make more.¡±

    ¡°Pah!¡± Liu Yanhong had not finished speaking, but Wang Yiping was angered into mming the teacup lid down. ¡°Just some things that can¡¯t be seen. What garbage. Does it deserve to be sent every day? What filial piety? Stop angering me instead.¡±

    Liu Yanhong looked around and whispered as if she was thinking on behalf of Wang Yiping. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Furen. Don¡¯t anger yourself. Won¡¯t that be exactly what they want? Nubi heard that Laoye still thinks about Furen. Furen needs to grasp Laoye¡¯s heart and give birth to a little Shaoye. That is what¡¯s important.¡±

    Wang Yiping felt a little better. She was used to acting too, so she immediately pretended to be concerned about Liu Yanhong. She asked, ¡°How are you doing? Why did she make you send me pastries? Ai! I was going to bring you over to my side, but I was afraid that she would be suspicious and torment you more.¡±

    Although Liu Yanhong was not Wang Yiping¡¯s personal maidservant, but she had followed Wang Yiping¡¯s mother, so she had a lot of contact with her. She could not say that shepletely understood Wang Yiping, but at least understood her 70%-80%.

    Liu Yanhong coldly sneered when she heard her words, but still pretended to be grateful. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Furen! Xiaojie is really vicious. Nubi is really tortured by her. Nubi really doesn¡¯t want to stay by her side anymore.¡±

    Wang Yiping immediately looked pityingly at Liu Yanhong. She rubbed her hanging single-lidded phoenix eyes that held no tears. ¡°I¡¯ve really made you suffer! I know your difficulties. Rest assured. I won¡¯t treat you badly. Let¡¯s do this......¡±

    Wang Yiping waved Liu Yanhong over. She muttered for a while and said, ¡°When this ispleted, she will be sent to the temple. Then you can be brought over to my side. You will be my first-rank maidservant.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Furen!¡± Liu Yanhong quickly knelt down and seemed to cry grateful tears. In reality, her heart was constantly ridiculing. ¡®Who wants to be a first-rank maidservant?! Do I only deserve to be a ve? No, I will be a master!¡¯

    Liu Yanhong could not calm down due to the temptation of being Seventh Yiniang. How could Zi You, who had good observation skills this lifetime, not see it?

    So, from time to time, she gave Liu Yanhong some discarded dresses and jewelry.

    Although they were clothes that she had discarded, they were still expensive good items in the eyes of maidservants.

    Liu Yanhong suddenly became popr and the favorite of Xiaojie. Even the four first-rank maidservants with ¡°yun¡± in their names began to get jealous.

    This was exactly what happened in Zi You¡¯s previous life. Liu Yanhong gradually became favored and became the most trusted servant of Zi You.

    Zi You listened to everything she said. She sold Moyun and Haiyun, leaving only the young Shuiyun behind. Finally, she took four second-rank maidservants Ruoxue, Ruoyu, Ruoyun, and Ruoshuang to Duke Yongnan fu when she was married.

    Yu Lanxuan had not been married to Zhao HongXiang as an equal wife for very long before Shuiyun was defiled by Zhao HongXiang. She offended Nee Chen and was beaten by her.

    The second-rank maidservants were also left to Nee Chen¡¯s disposal. She sold them off or married them off. Finally, there weren¡¯t any first-rank maidservants around besides Liu Yanhong whom she brought over from the General¡¯s Manor.

    Zi You also stupidly concealed Nee Chen¡¯s unkindness from her grandfather so that he wouldn¡¯t me Zhao HongXiang.

    Zi You thought of her weak and na?ve self in her previous life. She angrilyughed out loud. Huh! Zhao HongXiang¡¯s leg had been cured, but he could not leave the opioid that she had created.

    Now, he even had Duke Yongnan personallye ask her for her Xiaoyao Powder four times. (The name that Zi You gave the opioid.)

    During this time, Zhao HongXiang also sent his personal manservant Youwang over to find her. ¡°Xiaojie, Shizi wants to see you. He wants you to give him more Xiaoyao Powder.¡±

    Zi You had an expression like she was thinking for Zhao HongXiang¡¯s sake and refused. ¡°No. It is 30% poison. It cannot be taken in excess. Tell Shizi that since his leg doesn¡¯t hurt now, he can¡¯t use Xiaoyao Powder anymore.¡±

    When Duke Yongnan asked her, she replied in the same way. ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t spoil Shizi. Since his leg doesn¡¯t hurt, don¡¯t let him take the medicine. He will be addicted.¡±

    Don¡¯t get her wrong. She wasn¡¯t being kind, but the g male was already addicted. She said this for just in case. Duke Yongnan and his son couldn¡¯t me her in the future if someone found out that the medicine was addictive. She could clearly say, ¡°I told you that the medicine is addictive. You cannot take it in excess. But you didn¡¯t listen to me. So how can you me me?¡±

    Not only could they not me her, but they had to obediently listen to her. In Great Yan, there was no such poppy. Thus, Great Yan doctors had little knowledge of the effects and side effects of this medicine.

    Zhao HongXiang had to listen to her to quit the addiction and be at her mercy. Zhao HongXiang, I will y with you to death in this life!

    Chengcai* had already been killed by Duke Yongnan for breaking into Youran Ju as an apology to Old General Mu. [In Chapter 20]

    One of the aplices who harmed her in her previous life was dead. The rest would be taken care of. Zi You wasn¡¯t anxious. She was going to take it slowly.

    Liu Yanhong didn¡¯t know what Zi You was thinking. She was very arrogant these few days and secretly proud.

    She knew that Xiaojie was willing to listen to fawning words. When she was around Fifth Yiniang, she didn¡¯t learn anything else, but knew how to curry favor very well.

    Liu Yanhong was arrogant and dressed very extravagantly to parade around Yiping Ju.

    Of course, she could meet Mu YingRui six or seven times out of ten.

    Mu YingRui knew who she was. He had seen her twice before in Duke Yingguo fu. But he was in love with Wang Yiping then, so how could he notice her?

    But it was different now. He was married to Wang Yiping already. And Liu Yanhong was more beautiful than when she was in Duke Yingguo fu.

    The saying went that people relied on clothing and horses relied on saddles. A xiaojie¡¯s clothing, even if the style was outdated, was still better-looking than a maidservant¡¯s.

    Besides, Zi You¡¯s clothing was made for her by Wang Yiping with bad intentions in mind. The more she disliked such colorful and gaudy clothing, the more Wang Yiping had made for her. Her reason was very pleasant too. ¡°A girl should wear such colors.¡±

    The outdated clothing was mostly Great Yan¡¯s popr styles. The colors were indeed gaudier, but the embroidery was exquisite and the cloth was expensive.

    Since Wang Yiping took so much trouble, if Zi You didn¡¯t put them to use, wouldn¡¯t she be wasting her stepmother¡¯s good intentions?

    Liu Yanhong was originally not ugly. Now that was dressed up, in Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes, she looked a bit stunning.

    However, Wang Yiping was around every time, so he couldn¡¯t express anything. He could only look at Liu Yanhong a few more times.

    As a result, on December 28th, two days away from the Spring Festival, Mu YingRui was writing invitations in his study. Liu Yanhong secretly took a bit of Zi You¡¯s ginseng chicken soup and sent it to Mu YingRui.

    Of course, she dressed up. She wore a purple golden phoenix coat that Zi You gave her. She also wore a light red embroidered dress with branches of chrysanthemums, with turquoise blue jewelry.

    Her ck hair wasbed into a bun. A gold gem embedded phoenix hairpin was in the front. An emerald embedded hairpin was in the back. She had on gilt filigree ruby drop earrings and a gold and jade bracelet on her wrist.

    She wore almost all of the jewelry that Zi You rewarded her with. She didn¡¯t seem like a maidservant. She looked more like a xiaojie than normal xiaojies.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s peach blossom eyes shone. Liu Yanhong twisted her small waist and seductively bowed. She delicately said, ¡°Nubi pays respects to Laoye. Wishing Laoye a good night. Xiaojie was afraid that Laoye would be tired, so she had Nubi send ginseng chicken soup over. Please have a taste, Laoye. Nubi boiled it for four hours.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Mu YingRui was immediately receptive. He looked at her with interest and smiled. ¡°You made the soup yourself? Then Laoye will have a taste.¡±

    Liu Yanhong was, after all, an experienced person. She not only had an affair with Wang Shengmin, but also slept with Duke Yingguo twice. She knew clearly when men had an interest in her.

    Seeing Mu YingRui like this, she immediately knew that he was receptive. So she twisted her waist as she walked over. As she was pouring chicken soup into a bowl, she used her immature bosom to press against Mu YingRui¡¯s arm.

    Mu YingRui understood her meaning clearly. In the moment that he took the bowl of chicken soup, he held her fleshy little hand. He lecherously narrowed his peach blossom eyes. ¡°This little hand is really good-looking. I can tell that you¡¯re really clever.¡±

    Liu Yanhong saw that he was hooked and couldn¡¯t help but be happy. But she shyly wanted to withdraw her hand. ¡°Laoye, don¡¯t...... Don¡¯t be like this.¡±

 Chapter 140 A Scheme After the Illicit Act [1]

    <h4>Chapter 140 A Scheme After the Illicit Act [1]</h4>

    Her voice was coquettish. Mu YingRui shook a bit and pulled Liu Yanhong into his arms. Heughed flirtatiously. ¡°Haha...... What are you acting for? You dress up like a butterfly and flit in front of Ye every day. Isn¡¯t that because you want Laoye, my, favor? Don¡¯t pretend. Let Laoye favor you......¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish speaking before he rained kisses on her eyes, nose, lips, neck, and chest......

    Then he picked her up and threw her onto the bed in the study. He quickly took off his and Liu Yanhong¡¯s clothes and rolled into a ball with her.

    His hand touched her body and regardless of anything, he rushed into her body.

    Liu Yanhong was in so much pain that she shouted out. She fought back tears and let out a wild cat¡¯s screech.

    In this silent winter night, the bed¡¯s squeaking sounds were exceptionally loud.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s first-rank maidservant Liulu was like Yenhong. She was also prepared for Mu YingRui in the case of Wang Yiping¡¯s pregnancy.

    For whatever reason, Wang Yiping had not gotten pregnant after being married to Mu YingRui for a year. They were unable to be Laoye¡¯s women, so they had be anxious.

    So, from time to time, they too were looking for opportunities to rise up.

    Yenhong saw that she had a chance today, so she too dressed up and carried ate night snack to Mu YingRui¡¯s study.

    As a result, Mu YingRui¡¯s attendant Yang Qingjun coldly stopped her from entering. ¡°Laoye has ordered that no one can go into the study.¡±

    Yenhong was first startled. Then she heard the movement from inside. What did she not understand? Her face instantly turned red and then white.

    She immediately hurried back to Wang Yiping¡¯s Yiping Ju. Of course, she could not say that she went to the kitchen to get ate night snack for Laoye. She said to Wang Yiping, ¡°Nubi went to the kitchen to prepare ate night snack for Furen. Liu Yanhong was there. Nubi thought that she was getting ate night snack for Xiaojie, but Nubi didn¡¯t think that she would take the food box and walk towards Laoye¡¯s study.¡±

    Wang Yiping thought of Liu Yanhonging to her ce frequently and dressing more and more beautifully. She immediately understood her intentions.

    Wang Yiping was so angry that she hated she couldn¡¯t bite her to death. ¡°That cheap wench. I was wondering why she kepting over here. So it was a weasel paying a New Year¡¯s visit to a chicken. She didn¡¯t have any good intentions. Come. Follow me to catch the adulterers in the act.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Furen.¡± Yenhong happily went towards Mu YingRui¡¯s study.

    Wang Yiping also brought Liulu with them.

    When they were at the study, Yang Qingjun still didn¡¯t let them inside. But once Wang Yiping heard a man¡¯s grunts that sounded like a wild dog and a woman¡¯s moans that sounded like a wild cat in heat, she suddenly and angrily said, ¡°You really...... If Lao TaiYe finds out, Laoye will be punished again. Can you afford the me? Get out of my way.¡±

    She disregarded Yang Qingjun and pushed her way inside.

    Yang Qingjun¡¯s face turned white. He thought that the one with Laoye at the moment was Xiaojie¡¯s first-rank maidservant. Then he thought of Lao TaiYe¡¯s sternness and couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    Mu YingRui was currently experiencing heavenly pleasure. It would be a lie to say that he was not embarrassed when he saw his wife rush inside with two maidservants.

    He angrily shouted, ¡°Get out! Who let you in here?¡±

    ¡°Laoye, you, you¡¯re in big trouble!¡±

    Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, Wang Yiping was not angry catching the adulterers in the act. Instead, she said, full of concern and anxiety, to Mu YingRui, ¡°Laoye, this maidservant is Xiaojie¡¯s. If Lao TaiYe finds out, or if someone with ulterior motives finds out, or if the imperial censor finds out that Laoye touched even his daughter¡¯s maidservants, Laoye will not only be punished by Lao TaiYe. You might even be censured by the imperial censor. Even your reputation may be damaged. Laoye, is it worth it for a maidservant?¡±

    It was as if someone poured a basin of cold water over Mu YingRui, making him cold from head to toe.

    Mu YingRui no longer cared about what he was doing. He pushed Liu Yanhong away. He hurriedly got dressed with Wang Yiping¡¯s help.

    He looked fawningly at Wang Yiping and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s Furen who is virtuous, reasonable, and knows how to think about Laoye. This is my momentary confusion. I almost...... Furen, I need you to cover up this matter for me. Or maybe you can ask You¡¯er for this maidservant. She can be a tongfang.¡±

    Wang Yiping heard this and knew that Mu YingRui was reluctant to let go of Liu Yanhong.

    She looked at Liu Yanhong. Although she was shrinking and trembling under the quilt, there was a trace of pride in her eyes.

    Wang Yiping was so angry that her liver hurt. She hated that she couldn¡¯t immediately rush forwards and tear Liu Yanhong into pieces.

    But countless thoughts rushed through her head. She walked over and lifted the quilt. When she saw the bright red smear, her eyes shed. She softly said, ¡°Silly yatou, Laoye is handsome and talented. You liking him......¡±

    Then she looked at Yenhong and Liulu and sighed. ¡°Ai...... And you two liking Laoye and wanting to be his women is not strange. I don¡¯t me you. But have you thought about why I don¡¯t immediately let you serve Laoye?¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s eyes held infinite affection as she looked at Mu YingRui. ¡°That¡¯s because the doctor said that Laoye has a kidney deficiency. He can no longer indulge in bedroom matters. There is also another reason that you must have thought of. Every time Laoye is on vacation, he names a new yiniang or tongfang. If people find out, how would they think of him?

    ¡°Although the saying is that a man would waste his youth if he wasn¡¯t lustful, Laoye is after all, not a youth. He cannot have a frivolous and lustful reputation! But if I was pregnant, then people can¡¯t say anything if Laoye names new concubines or tongfangs. But now, I still......

    ¡°This is also what I¡¯m worried about. If I¡¯m pregnant, would I still stop you all from serving Laoye? Yanhong, you were really too anxious this time! You know that Xiaojie is Lao TaiYe¡¯s most beloved granddaughter. If he finds out that his granddaughter¡¯s maidservant doesn¡¯t know her ce and wants to climb onto her Laoye¡¯s bed, he will really beat you to death!¡±

    Wang Yiping spoke very cleverly. Mu YingRui immediately felt that Wang Yiping had changed a lot while he was taking up his post. She not only became virtuous, but knew how to think wholeheartedly for his sake. She was also not as harsh to maidservants.

    If she saw him sleeping with maidservants and caught him in the act before, wouldn¡¯t she be angered into madness and craziness?

    But she didn¡¯t reproach him once tonight. Instead, she thought on his behalf on everything. She was right. Whether it was for his welfare or her sake, they should quickly let her get pregnant.

    Yenhong and Liulu more or less thought that she was unkind and selfish too. But after they heard her words tonight, they felt that she made sense.

    Thus, they quickly knelt down to express their loyalty. ¡°Furen, Nubi doesn¡¯t dare. Nubi will wholeheartedly serve Laoye and Furen.¡±

    Mu YingRui too rushed over to hold her. He whispered with a hint of guilt and very tenderly, ¡°Furen, I know that you are the best. I......¡±

    ¡°Laoye doesn¡¯t need to say anything.¡± Wang Yiping already hated him, but the most charming and delicate smile was still on her face. ¡°It is natural for Bieqie to think for Laoye¡¯s sake. Laoye, if you trust Bieqie, then go back and wait for Bieqie. Let Bieqie and Yanhong guniang speak.¡±

    He had originally agreed with Wang Yiping that he would sleep at her ce tonight.

    Apparently to please him, Wang Yiping dressed very charmingly tonight. A rose-red gold-streaked chinchi short fur coat was paired with a green and gold embroidered cotton dress. A silver satin white fox fur cloak framed her originally beautiful little face with a fresh color. She was exceptionally charming and enchanting.

    Her bashful smile at him contained a bit of charm. Mu YingRui suddenly felt numb. Could he still refuse her now?

    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll go back and wait for you.¡± Mu YingRui scratched Wang Yiping¡¯s palm and left the study.

    Once he left, Liu Yanhong stared nervously at Wang Yiping. She was ready to be beaten and scolded by her.

    But to her surprise, Wang Yiping not only did not scold her, but said, half ming and half concerned, ¡°You are too bold! Laoye wasn¡¯t drunk tonight. If he knows that it wasn¡¯t your first time, won¡¯t he kill you? Besides, if Lao TaiYe finds out, you¡¯re as good as dead too.

    ¡°Yanhong, you are a smart person. Why did you do such a foolish thing tonight?¡±

    Liu Yanhong showed a hint of guilt and a deep sense of uneasiness. She felt that if she had followed Xiaojie¡¯s orders, what would have happened to her then?

    If it was as Furen said and Old General Mu wanted to kill her, would Xiaojie save her?

    Although Liu Yanhong did not answer, her expression fell into Wang Yiping¡¯s eyes.

    She sneered in her heart, but had a face of worry. ¡°You are now Laoye¡¯s woman now. Of course I won¡¯t mind if youe serve him. But what about Lao TaiYe? You have to get past Lao TaiYe first before you can think about anything else, right?¡±

    Liu Yanhong was already uneasy. Now that she was provoked, she immediately said, ¡°Xiaojie will not let Lao TaiYe kill me.¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s drooping single-lidded phoenix eyes immediately narrowed.

    She originally suspected that Liu Yanhong was bribed by Zi You. Zi You must have certainly promised her something. That¡¯s why Liu Yanhong would be so bold to dress up and seduce Mu YingRui.

    The jewelry and clothes were proof. Wang Yiping looked at the jewelry and clothes that were thrown all over the room. She was so angry that she hated that she couldn¡¯t immediately swallow Liu Yanhong and Zi You!

 Chapter 141 A Scheme After the Illicit Act [2]

    <h4>Chapter 141 A Scheme After the Illicit Act [2]</h4>

    A kind reader bought me coffees! Thank you for your support! Here are the promised bonus chapters!

    But she pretended to smile freely. ¡°Since you said so, then I am relieved. Tell what happened tonight to Xiaojie. I will go back and tell Laoye so that he can rest assured. Aiyo! This is great! If you can serve Laoye, I not only have a good sister, but good support. Don¡¯t worry. I will immediately have Laoye name you Seventh Yiniang.¡±

    She patted Liu Yanhong¡¯s handfortingly. Then she turned and left.

    As soon as she turned, she revealed a hideous smile. She gnashed her teeth and thought, ¡®Mu Zi You, you vicious little mixed breed! This time, I will make you aughingstock in the whole capital. I will have your own father, Mu YingRui,pletely hate you. I will have that old fool Mu Junyuan (Old General Mu) be disappointed in you and witness your hypocrisy.¡¯

    Before her smile disappeared, Wang Yiping started shedding tears. She cried very loudly, as if her mother had died.

    When she arrived at Yiping Ju, she looked as pitiful as begonias that had been drenched in the rain.

    Mu YingRui was naturally distressed when he saw her. He asked repeatedly, ¡°What happened? Why are you so sad? Did Liu Yanhong bully you?¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s weak and helpless appearance would only make people think that she was bullied. No one would think that she was a sinister and vicious woman.

    Especially when Mu YingRui thought of her as a very virtuous woman now. Once he looked at her, hepletely forgot all her bad deeds from before.

    Wang Yiping looked into Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes that were filled with affection and concern. She knew that this man was coaxed by her not to the point ofplete obedience, but to the level of trust as when they were newlyweds.

    So, she cried even more heartbreakingly and copsed into his arms. ¡°Wuu...... Laoye should resent Ping¡¯er. In order to give You¡¯er a good impression and not to separate from you, I came up with a bad idea in the beginning. Now...... Now, You¡¯er hates us both.

    ¡°But the idea was mine. She should resent me, hate me, and direct her anger at me. But why does she have to hate her father, you, too? Now...... Now, she...... She...... Laoye, what are we going to do?

    ¡°If I watch you be beaten by your father again, I..... I might as well kill myself. Is the feeling of having my heart gouge out something a human can withstand? Laoye¡¯s body may be beaten, but Ping¡¯er¡¯s heart is in pain!¡±

    Her cries made Mu YingRui even more distressed. While he wasforting her, he kissed Wang Yiping. His heart was flustered. He angrily asked, ¡°What did that darned yatou do now? She angered you to this state? Did she go to the study to bully you?¡±

    Wang Yiping heard his questions and revealed a cold and proud smile in his arms. She cried even sadder. ¡°Laoye, I thought it was strange that Liu Yanhong kepting over to my ce. She¡¯s a servant who was just promoted from a rough-work maidservant to a second-rank maidservant. Where did she get all the gorgeous and expensive clothing and jewelry? I was originally worried that she stole them from You¡¯er.

    ¡°But her behavior today made me suspicious. How can a daughter¡¯s maidservant dare to climb onto her mistress¡¯ father¡¯s bed? So, I asked around. Heavens. I can¡¯t even say it. This...... This is Xiaojie....... Xiaojie¡¯s n.

    ¡°Laoye, I was so shocked that I broke out in a cold sweat. What do you think You¡¯er is up to? She is studying medicine. She should know your body¡¯s situation. Even if she doesn¡¯t know, she let her maidservant climb onto her father¡¯s bed. What does she want to do? Laoye, Ping¡¯er thought about the things that had happened before. Ping¡¯er is really afraid!¡±

    It must be said that Wang Yiping was clever and eloquent. She linked up matters in the past with matters that happened today. Then she linked them up, analyzed, and provoked.

    Mu YingRui originally did not like Zi You. Now that he was being convinced, he immediately pondered. It seemed that the darned yatou really hated him marrying a new wife. In addition, some unpleasant things had happened. She probably really did hate him to the bones.

    First, she offered him Shui YouLian. Now, she had Liu Yanhong seduce him. The purpose might actually be like what Ping¡¯er said. She used other women to divide his love from Wang Yiping. She also wanted to destroy his body, damage his reputation and authority, and cut off his career.

    That sinister and malicious darned yatou! She was so young, but why were her thoughts soplicated? It seemed that he really had to guard against her more.

    Father was so partial towards her. If she really wanted to harm him and Ping¡¯er and the children whom he and Ping¡¯er would have in the future, then it would be frightening!

    If this matter wasn¡¯t properly handled, he would be punished. He would also be censored by the imperial censor and his promotion would be impacted. Only if he did things ording to what Ping¡¯er said could the matter be resolved.

    Thinking of this, Mu YingRui said viciously to Wang Yiping, ¡°Rest assured. I know what to do. I will never let you or our children to be harmed by that vicious darned yatou. You did very well. Do what you said with the chicken soup that Liu Yanhong sent over. I will go find Liu Yanhong and have her obediently listen to me.

    ¡°Tomorrow, I will go teach that darned yatou a lesson! Such a young age and her heart is so vicious. This time, both witness and evidence are here. I want to see how she will quibble. This time, it will be useless even if father is here. She is so malicious. I am her father. I have the right to discipline her.¡±

    ¡°You cannot.¡± When Wang Yiping saw that Mu YingRui was angry, she was exceedingly happy. But she still gently advised, ¡°Laoye, don¡¯t be angry or you¡¯ll harm your body. Go speak nicely with You¡¯er. Tell her not to hate us.

    ¡°After all, we are a family. It¡¯s good if the misunderstanding is resolved. Advise her and reason with her. It¡¯s for the best if she listens. If she doesn¡¯t listen, then you can carry out the familyws. But it is best if you send father away tomorrow. Otherwise, if he hears, he wille over to stop you. You¡¯er might hate you, her father, even more.¡±

    ¡°I know. Tomorrow, father and brother will be going to the army. They won¡¯t be in the house.¡± Mu YingRui praised Wang Yiping¡¯s thoughtfulness. ¡°You are the thoughtful one!¡±

    On the other hand, he was aggressive. ¡°That child cannot be coddled by father anymore. I¡¯ll have someone bring Liu Yanhong over.¡±

    Wang Yiping deliberately mentioned the familyws. Originally, Mu YingRui hadn¡¯t even thought of that terrifying military rod. Now, it was good. He wanted to have her taste the feeling of being hit by that military rod.

    In the dark night, all sorts of sinister schemes were nned. Zi You didn¡¯t know anything about this. At this time, she was with Shangguan LingRan in the capital¡¯s Plum Blossom Hill in the northern suburbs, enjoying the night view of the winter snow.

    It snowed heavily in the capital two days ago, making the capital into a silver-coated world.

    There was a plum blossom hill in the north of the capital. There were more than 20,000 strains of plum blossoms. There were also hundreds of strains of wintersweets [Chimonanthus praecox, a type of plum blossom?].

    This was the best time to watch wintersweets bloom in the winter. As the capital¡¯s most famous dandy, Shangguan LingRan had already went with his friends to the hill to admire the wintersweets.

    The thin and dry branches were full of dense flower buds. The transparent and delicate weak yellow flowers emitted elegant fragrance. The fragrance wasn¡¯t stationary. It floated and flowed silently in the air, like a poet reciting an intangible and rhyme-less but beautiful poem. Shangguan LingRan was deeply intoxicated in the wintersweets¡¯ charm and scent.

    He immediately decided to take the little yatou here to admire the plum blossoms. But he knew that daytime would not work. There was a continuous line of people admiring the flowers in the daytime. Even if Zi You was beaten to death, she would not publicly admit that she and he were together.

    Thus, he could no longer stand it tonight and ran over to lure Zi You. ¡°The wintersweets on Plum Blossom Hill are covered in snow. They almost look transparent. It¡¯s really beautiful! You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t see it. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you tonight. I guarantee that you¡¯ll like it.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s deep purple eyes were clearer and brighter in the nighttime. When she heard Shangguan LingRan¡¯s words, she feigned anger and looked coquettishly at him. ¡°It¡¯s dark at night. What can we see?¡±

    Shangguan LingRanughed proudly. ¡°How can it be dark? I guarantee that I will make the hill as bright as daytime. I won¡¯t let you make the trip in vain. Shall we go? If not, when the sunes out tomorrow, the snow will melt. It won¡¯t be as charming then.¡±

    Zi You hesitated. She had always loved pine, bamboo, plum blossoms, and orchids. She knew that the scenery was the most beautiful when the plum blossoms bloomed on the hill in the winter snow and early spring.

    But grandfather and uncle were in the army visiting soldiers these past few days. Aunt was also busy preparing for New Year. So how could Zi You dare to suggest going to see plum blossoms in the snow?

    She was a bit tempted by Shangguan LingRan¡¯s suggestion. After all, she was still a child. She was only a sixteen-year-old girl even in her previous life. If there weren¡¯t so many changes, she would still be a mischievous girl who liked having fun.

    In the end, her desire to have fun won over reason. Zi You nodded and agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll go change clothes.¡±

    In a short while, the two used their qinggong and left the General¡¯s Manor. Shangguan LingRan¡¯s horse carriage was about 200 meters away from the front door.

    Shangguan LingRan was very thoughtful. Zi You saw that the horse carriage did not have An Wang fu¡¯s insignia. Its decorations were also very low-key. Zi You had a new understanding of his carefulness again.

    The carriage driver was not an ordinary driver either. He was called Yang Jian. He was a guard who had been with Shangguan LingRan since he was young. They called him ¡°Tiger Roaring Wind¡± in Jianghu.

    As the name suggested, his tiger fists were mighty and fast, like a fierce tiger going down the mountain.

    The truth was that Shangguan LingRan had six secret guards and four public guards around him. Four of them had unfathomable martial arts. Let¡¯s not mention imperial secret guards, but even the top experts in Jianghu would not necessarily be their opponents.

    That was because these ten people were Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s Xuanyuan Daozhang¡¯s specially selected disciples. When Shangguan LingRan was sent to Xuanyuan Sect, he was only two years old. These people were sent by his side to protect him.

 Chapter 142 Admiring the Snow on Plum Blossom Hill at Night [1]

    <h4>Chapter 142 Admiring the Snow on Plum Blossom Hill at Night [1]</h4>

    The ten people, plus carriage driver Yang Jian, saw that their little martial uncle [Shishu], who was most beloved by their master and never looked at a woman, liked a woman for the first time. They remembered that a few months ago, little Shishu was seriously injured saving Zi You. They couldn¡¯t help but be curious about Zi You.

    They thought that it was really dangerous that time. Since they followed little Shishu, it was the first time he had suggested that they return to Emei Mountain.

    That was because it had been 500 years since Xuanyuan Sect was formed. Little Shishu was deeply guilty because he could not participate. Thus, he ordered, ¡°You go back to see Shifu. Tell him that I¡¯m okay and that he doesn¡¯t need to miss me. I can¡¯t leave the capital to see Shifu. Help me kowtow a few times to him.¡±

    Thus the ten of them returned to Emei Mountain. After they returned, they were reprimanded by Shangguan LingRan¡¯s Shifu, their Shizun [not direct teacher, master]. ¡°How can you listen to your little Shishu? Although your statuses are lower than his, you are still older than him by several years. Don¡¯t you know that he¡¯s still a child? You left him alone? Feng¡¯er, (Shangguan LingRan¡¯s name in Xuanyuan Sect was Shangguan Aofeng) that child is getting more and more daring.¡±

    When they returned and found out that little Shishu was injured, they were more remorseful. Little Shishu was afraid of being punished by his Shifu, so he didn¡¯t dare tell him. But they med themselves for a long time

    Later, when they discovered that Shangguan LingRan left them behind and secretly ran out to meet Zi You, theyined several times. ¡°Little Shishu, it¡¯s not right that you sneak out to meet a girl. If Shizun finds out, he will punish us again.¡±

    Who would bring ten lightbulbs along when he went on a date? Shangguan LingRan refused to let them go with him.

    In the end, theypromised. The four public guards and six secret guards could follow him, but only if they maintained a distance of 200 meters.

    With 200 meters, if he was in danger, he could shout and they would hear him.

    Because of this reason, other than Yang Jian, the others had never seen Zi You up close. Of course, they were curious about this woman who could warm up their icy-cold little Shishu.

    She didn¡¯t make them disappointed. Zi You had draped a bamboo green wolf fur cloak on her. She wore a snow hat. Standing in the snow, her white skin was set against the snow and ice and seemed more lustrous. She looked elegant, calm, and proud, like a Tianshan snow lotus.

    No wonder! Although there weren¡¯t a lot of females on Emei Mountain, there were still around fourteen or fifteen. They were all different and talented, but Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t like any of them. They were even curious about what kind of woman little Shishu wanted. The answer was revealed tonight.

    Shangguan LingRan brought Zi You out and introduced his martial nephews. ¡°This is sixth martial nephew Yi Bai. This is eighth martial nephew Yi Feng. This is eleventh martial nephew Yi He. This is......¡±

    After the introductions, he pointed to Zi You and said to them, ¡°This is Mu Xiaojie. Seeing her is the same as seeing me. You have to follow her orders without questions.¡±

    Zi You looked at the ten big men who were older than Shangguan LingRan by five or six years. Then she heard that they were his martial nephews. She almost didn¡¯t know how to react.

    Curtsy? She and Shangguan LingRan were peers of the same generation, so that wasn¡¯t appropriate. Not curtsy? These people were older than her, so that was obviously incorrect.

    Zi You was stiff for a full five minutes. Before they were about to perform a greeting to her, she curtsied in a fluster. ¡°Zi You pays respects to these warriors. Have a good evening, warriors!¡±

    Her small face turned red. She red fiercely at Shangguan LingRan.

    It¡¯s this man¡¯s fault forunching a sneak attack at me! He didn¡¯t even tell me in advance that he was introducing his martial nephews to me.

    Making me so embarrassed! I wasn¡¯t even this nervous when I saw the Emperor in the throne room. Howe I can¡¯t even speak tonight?

    Shangguan LingRan had never seen Zi You embarrassed. He looked at her small bashful and angry puffed-up face. He couldn¡¯t help but be in a good mood andugh happily.

    Zi You picked up snow from the ground and fiercely threw it at Shangguan LingRan.

    In her anger, her snow-like skin was dyed red. Her deep eyes were brighter because of embarrassment. Her beautiful facial features reflected apelling elegance and coldness. There was also a little bashfulness and liveliness. It was really breathtaking, making people unable but be obsessed.

    She was much stronger than Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s female disciples. Her body had Jianghu females¡¯ freedom and easiness. But she had more elegance and refined charm than Jianghu females.

    Shangguan LingRan was wearing a blue embroidered robe. He matched it with green silk cloud shoes. A silver sachet on jade silk hung from his waist. A small golden crown held his hair up. He had a white sable fur cloak draped over him.

    At this moment, heughed loudly. The silver snow illuminated his facial features. He appeared more handsome and picturesque.

    When they stood together, they looked very fitting. They matched each other.

    Zi You got on the horse carriage. Although Shangguan LingRan wanted to ride with her, he considered her reputation and rode a horse.

    Yang Jian drove the horse carriage quickly and steadily. Ten people on horses followed closely behind. They soon arrived at Plum Blossom Hill.

    Once they went up the hill, Zi You could smell wintersweets. There were a lot ofnterns hung under the wintersweet trees. They were clearly prepared earlier.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but look at Shangguan LingRan. Her heart felt like she drank a bowl of hot milk. She felt warm from the inside to the outside.

    The plum blossoms were covered in snow, but seemed as if they weren¡¯t afraid of the cold. They bravely stuck their buds out. There were yellow, pink, and white plum blossoms.

    Plum blossoms were originally beautiful. Wintersweets in the snow were even more beautiful! The flower petals opened and seemed exquisitely carved. Each flower was golden and bright, like it was soaked in honey.

    The white plum blossoms weren¡¯t outdone. The color was very simr to snow, so they tried hard to bloom and disy their charm. White plum blossoms bloomed very well. A branch of white plum blossom gathered a bunch of white snow, exuding refreshing fragrance.

    Of course, the red plum blossoms didn¡¯t lose out either. The difference between them and the snow were striking. They showed their graceful buds in the snow. They danced in the wind and falling snow, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. The whole hill was immersed in the plum blossoms¡¯ fragrance and charm.

    Zi You¡¯s smile was suddenly blooming in the wind. She usually gave people the feeling of being an elegant and cold snow lotus on top of an iceberg.

    But now, her smile was like the sun in the sky, with a strong sense of warmth. It was fresh and clean like begonias blooming after the rain. It was like gentle and soothing breeze in the spring. It was hard for someone to look away from that smile. Because of that smile, one¡¯s heart would pound and jump. That smile would forever be engraved in one¡¯s heart and never forgotten.

    Shangguan LingRan saw her smile happily and it was like a feather gently sweeping over his heart. His heart felt soft and itchy before finally settling down. ¡°You¡¯er, I knew that you will like plum blossoms. In fact, there aren¡¯t as many varieties of wintersweets here as An Wang fu in Pei City. I will take you there to admire the plum blossoms in the future. The winter is long there, so there¡¯s more snow. When the wintersweets open, they¡¯re dazzling.¡±

    He turned to his martial nephews. ¡°Okay, go set off fireworks. Then bring the Kongming Lanterns over.¡±

    Ten people looked at Shangguan LingRan in displeasure. What elders? He was obviously a lecherous fellow! He brought us here on his date so that we will set off fireworks for him and bring the Kongming Lanterns over. Despicable!

    If Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t need them to set off fireworks and send the Kongming Lantern into the sky, he would never bring them along to interfere with him and Zi You admiring the plum blossoms in the snow that night.

    Zi You heard him order his martial nephews who were older than him as impolitely as he ordered servants.

    She couldn¡¯t help but frown and whisper in embarrassment, ¡°They¡¯re older than you and you¡¯re from the same sect. Don¡¯t go overboard.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan wasn¡¯t a little bit embarrassed. He immediately leaned over to Zi You andughed. ¡°It¡¯s useless if they¡¯re older. My status is higher than theirs. They don¡¯t dare to disobey me. You¡¯er, order them around if you need to in the future. You will be their little Shishen [martial aunt] in the future.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Zi You bashfully and resentfully red at him. ¡°I said that we¡¯re allies. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me......¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er.¡± Shangguan LingRan saw that Zi You looked shy, so he immediately leaned closer and acted spoiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartless, okay? Look at me. I was preparing since the afternoon so that you can enjoy the plum blossoms tonight. I¡¯m still chilled from being cold. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel my hands.¡±

    Zi You had interacted with him for a long time now. She knew that he was a rogue. They more she took him seriously, the more enthusiastic he got.

    So, she no longer paid attention to him. She walked away to a wintersweet tree. She admired the wintersweets¡¯ charm using antern¡¯s light.

    At this time, a ¡°pop¡± sounded. Zi You looked up and saw a red fireball rose into the sky. It soon exploded and turned into colorful flowers. Then they turned into a sky full of little stars. After it shed in the sky, a long tail was dragged behind and slowly fell. It was like a flying butterfly spinning in the air and like a dandelion blowing in the wind.

    Zi You clutched her small cherry mouth in amazement. She hadn¡¯t reacted yet, when she heard a ¡°whoosh.......¡± Beams of dazzling light flew into the sky.

    Then ¡°pahpahpah¡± noises sounded...... The beams of light suddenly exploded. Gold, silver, red, green, and blue star-like flowers flew all around. Some were like marigolds in full bloom. It was like a fairy scattering flowers. Each little flower fell from the sky.

    Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. All the colors were there. The night sky was beautiful and graceful. Earth shone like the daytime.

 Chapter 143 Admiring the Snow on Plum Blossom Hill at Night [2]

    <h4>Chapter 143 Admiring the Snow on Plum Blossom Hill at Night [2]</h4>

    Zi You looked at the brilliant and gorgeous fireworks. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. Fireworks onlysted a moment. But how many people could forget their magnificence? They disappeared like ashes to leave behind beautiful memories in one moment.

    Shangguan LingRan looked through the haze to look at Zi You. Zi You¡¯s face reflected ayer of red powder. She glittered like a reflection of light. Her snow-white dress was embroidered with bright moonstones. She shone eye-catchingly, like shiny stars,.

    Shangguan LingRan was so happy that he almostughed madly. He could tell that the little yatou was in a very good mood today. This was a huge improvement. In the beginning once she saw him, she would bare her teeth, put up her guard, quarrel with him, and even bit him so many times.

    With such development, he still had some hope that he would grasp her in his hands.

    Shangguan LingRan was instantly filled with confidence. He was as happy as soap bubbles in danger of constantly overflowing.

    He was actually a cold-hearted and seemingly evil person. But only those familiar with him knew how scary he was.

    He clearly was not someone with tender feelings towards the opposite sex, but he was very gentle tonight. He used his cloak to put up a screen and blocked the howling winds for Zi You.

    This made his martial nephews shocked. Fifteenth martial nephew Yi Chen was originally someone who lovedughing and ying. He was round and chubby.

    He was twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. But because he joined the sectte, he became Shangguan LingRan¡¯s third shixiong¡¯s [senior martial brother] eighth disciple. He was the fifteenth ¡°Yi¡± disciple.

    When the fireworks were over, he brought a Kongming Lantern over to Zi You. He asked mysteriously, ¡°Little Shishen, little Shishu never bothers with girls. He never has any tender feelings towards the opposite sex. He can be very ruthless! Tell us, how did you make him treat your wholeheartedly and devotedly?¡±

    Zi You never thought that among Shangguan LingRan¡¯s martial nephews, there was someone so outspoken. She was so bashful that her face turned bright bred.

    Fortunately, it was nighttime and thentern was not too bright. It wasn¡¯t obvious. However, Shangguan LingRan still looked intoxicatingly at her. He was reluctant to move his eyes away.

    His little woman¡¯s shy and helpless expression was really cute to the extreme! She was more vivid than her usual cold self.

    Shangguan LingRan was happy and immediately told Yi Chen secretly, ¡°When we go back, I will reward you with an internal force manual.¡±

    He smiled foolishly and took Yi Chen¡¯s Kongming Lantern. He winked at him to make him leave. Then he smiled like a big daisy and handed it to Zi You. ¡°You¡¯er, write down what wishes you have. I wrote on the Kongming Lantern to bless you, grandfather, uncle, and your family to live in peace, good health, and good luck.¡±

    Kongming Lanterns were also called Sky Lanterns. It was created by Zhuge Kongming (Zhuge Liang) of the Three Kingdoms. That year, Zhuge Kongming was besieged by Sima Yi in Pingyang and couldn¡¯t send troops out of the city for help. Zhuge Kongming calcted the wind and made papernterns to carry out messages for help. He actually escaped danger. Later on, this type ofntern was called Kongming Lantern.

    Muchter, sending out Kongming Lanterns was mainly used for blessings. Old and young wrote down blessings to symbolize sessful harvest and happiness year after year.

    So, that¡¯s why Shangguan LingRan said what he had said. But Zi You did not expect that he wrote on eachmp blessings for her and her family. Her face looked very calm, but her heart felt traces of warmth.

    Shangguan LingRan was very thoughtful. He even prepared brush and ink for her.

    Zi You was grateful for his thoughtfulness. She looked at him and picked up the brush. She turned around and her back faced Shangguan LingRan. She seriously and earnestly wrote, ¡°I wish my grandfather, uncle, aunt, and cousins a life of peace, health, and happiness! I wish them all the best!¡±

    She thought about it and added, ¡°I wish that all of Mu Zi You¡¯s friends will be healthy and happy. I wish them a life of peace!¡±

    She didn¡¯t write about her parents? Shangguan LingRan was taller than Zi You by half a head. His eyesight was also good. He stretched his neck up a bit and could see what Zi You wrote.

    He then thought about when he was at the General¡¯s Manor and when Zi You pretended to be injured. Mu YingRui only came to visit her once. His level of cold-bloodedness wasparable to a poisonous snake.

    When he thought of this, Shangguan LingRan¡¯s smile disappeared. His body once again exuded a cold aura.

    ¡°I¡¯m done writing. How do we set it in the air?¡± Zi You turned around and immediately felt that something was wrong with Shangguan LingRan. She was concerned and couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s concern made Shangguan LingRan¡¯s temperature quickly warm up. He pretended to re resentfully at Zi You. ¡°Did you make a wish for me?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Zi You was startled. She turned her head and replied, ¡°En.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Shangguan LingRan took the Kongming Lantern. He read for a while and muttered, aggrieved, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me. You didn¡¯t write my name.¡±

    Then he angrily shouted to his martial nephews, ¡°Bring all the Kongming Lanterns over.¡±

    The martial nephews, who were very far away, each held two Kongming Lanterns in their hands, and came over.

    Shangguan LingRan took one and pushed it over for Zi You to take a look. ¡°Look. Each of thesenterns has blessings for you and your family on them.¡±

    Zi You took it and looked. She couldn¡¯t help but be touched. She saw different words written on eachntern. ¡°I wish You¡¯er, Old General Mu, General Mu, and You¡¯er¡¯s family to live in happiness and peace!¡±

    ¡°I wish that You¡¯er will always be happy!¡±

    ¡°I wish that You¡¯er, Old General Mu, and General Mu will win all the battles and never lose!¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    The wind on the hill was cold, but Zi You felt very warm. For the first time ever, she patiently exined to Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Didn¡¯t I write blessings for all my friends? What? You aren¡¯t willing to be my friend? Or is it that you¡¯ve never treated me as your friend in your heart?¡±

    Despite some disappointment, Shangguan LingRan still happily smiled after some thought. She admitted that they were friends. It was already much better than before when she kept him at a distance of 1,000 miles away. He was willing to take it slowly. He believed that sincerity could split metal and stone.

    Thinking of this, Shangguan LingRan no longer fussed. He smiled at Zi You. ¡°Then shall we set thenterns?¡±

    Zi You nodded. Under Shangguan LingRan¡¯s instructions, she lit a Kongming Lantern. She carefully let go and watched the Kongming Lantern fly higher and higher and farther and farther. It changed from argentern slowly turn into a small ball and slowly into a small orange.

    ¡°Quick, You¡¯er. Let¡¯s make a wish together.¡± Shangguan LingRan saw that the Kongming Lantern floated far away and rushed to urge her.

    Zi You obediently sped her hands together and closed her eyes. She silently blessed her family and friends in her heart.

    When she looked up once again, the Kongming Lanterns had be bright and big stars in the sky. They were part of the unique scenery in the sky. They illuminated the sky with the stars and became beautiful decorations in the night.

    Zi You reached out, as if she wanted to capture this wonderful moment.

    Shangguan LingRan saw that she was a bit reluctant. He softly said, ¡°If you like it, wait until the Lantern Festival. We wille here again to set off fireworks andnterns, okay? There are streams over the hill there. We can set waternterns too.

    ¡°You¡¯er, do you know that I¡¯m very happy tonight? That¡¯s because you¡¯re here with me. Thank you! Thank you for giving me this opportunity to admire the plum blossoms with you!¡±

    Zi You gently nodded. Although she did not speak, her expression was tender and she slightly smiled. It was more charming and gentle than her previous coldness.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s mood greatly improved. He swooped up like a bird and when he went over to Zi You, he had many yellow wintersweets in his hands. ¡°For you. Take them back and put them in a vase.¡±

    This time, Zi You did not refuse. She took the wintersweets and smelled that quiet aroma.

    Shangguan LingRan rarely saw her like a gentle woman. He stayed quietly staring at her. One admired flowers, while one admired a person. He thought that she was loveable than flowers.

    The two stayed on the hill for another quarter of an hour. Shangguan LingRan looked at the big cape around her and finally realized that the winter night was very cold.

    He quickly handed her his own bronze handwarmer. He asked in concern, ¡°Is the handwarmer hot? Why don¡¯t we go back? I¡¯ll bring you back for the Lantern Festival?¡±

    Zi You nodded. She received the handwarmer and did not refuse. This made Shangguan LingRan even happier.

    He called his martial nephews over. ¡°We¡¯re going back now. Leave four people behind. The rest of you go back.¡±

    This time, Shangguan LingRan did not ride a horse. Instead, he got onto the horse carriage with Zi You.

    Inside the horse carriage, he looked at Zi You¡¯s displeased face. He quickly acted spoiled. ¡°You¡¯er, it¡¯s sote already. No one should notice us. It¡¯s too cold for me to ride a horse outside. I¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t speak and leaned to the side.

    Shangguan LingRan grinned proudly. He stared at her without blinking.

    Zi You started getting angry. She pulled her snow hat over her face.

    Shangguan LingRan chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, You¡¯er. You¡¯ll get stuffy. Okay, I won¡¯t look at you anymore. But you can¡¯t me me. Who asks you to look so...... ugly?¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Zi You angrily closed her eyes and feigned sleep. Who knew that she actually fell asleep?

    When she woke up, she was already in her Hundred Herb Garden.

    She just opened her eyes and a little white mouse jumped into her arms. It rubbed its small head against Zi You¡¯s chest and chattered as if it was saying something.

    Shangguan LingRan knew that this was a small male mouse. He was so angry that he almost reached out to fling it away, but Zi You¡¯s face changed. The burning anger in her eyes was enough to destroy everything.

    Shangguan LingRan asked worriedly, ¡°What is it? What did the small mouse say to you to make you so angry?¡±

    Zi You immediately masked her anger and returned to her calm expression. ¡°Why are you asking about my family matters? Leave now. It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going to sleep......¡±

 Chapter 144 A Plan to Teach Slag Father and Evil Slave a Lesson [1]

    <h4>Chapter 144 A n to Teach g Father and Evil ve a Lesson [1]</h4>

    ¡°I forbid it!¡± Shangguan LingRan suddenly rushed over to Zi You and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Listen to me. I won¡¯t let anyone to harm you, even if it is your family member or even if it is yourself. I wille tomorrow. If he touches your finger, I will make him bedridden for three days.¡±

    When Shangguan LingRan finished speaking thest sentence, his body suddenly turned cold all over. Even Zi You felt the chilling cold.

    Although his body was cold, Zi You felt a warm current flowing in her heart. For the first time, Zi You did not push Shangguan LingRan away. Instead, she hugged his waist tightly.

    Even if she was strong, she was still a woman. Moreover, she was an underage girl. Of course, she wanted a warm embrace for her to rely on.

    But she didn¡¯t have the right to be willful whether it was with grandfather or her uncle. The reason was very simple. No matter how bad Mu YingRui was, he was still grandfather¡¯s son and uncle¡¯s elder brother. She knew how painful it was to be hurt by her family. So how could she be willing to let grandfather and uncle experience the same feeling?

    The little woman in his arms showed a frail side for the first time. This made Shangguan LingRan even more distressed. He thought of his Fuwang¡¯s indifference towards him and empathized with Zi You.

    Although the little yatou had an appearance of not caring about it, the pain in her eyes and the bleakness of her body made him clearly feel her deep helplessness. He was, after all, her biological father. He actually schemed against her with some woman. No one would feel good.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart softened. His body¡¯s coldness melted and his embrace was warmer and warmer, making Zi You wanting to stay there.

    It was rare for the small lion to turn into a docile kitten. Shangguan LingRan was joyfully dizzy. He felt drunk on happiness. He held the little woman in his arms and said lowly over and over again, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, You¡¯er. You still have me. No matter who will wrong you in the future, I will not. I will always stand by your side to protect you......¡±

    After tonight, the two people¡¯s rtionship took a big step forwards. After Shangguan LingRan left, Zi You thought for a long time. She thought that because of one Zhao HongXiang, she suspected all the men in the world and even ignored Shangguan LingRan¡¯s care and concern for her. She even pushed him away time and time again. It was indeed a bit unfair to him.

    Tonight, his martial nephews had said, ¡°Our little Shishu has never looked at women. Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s little martial sisters like him, but his indifference makes them cry.¡±

    Perhaps this fellow looked uninhibited, but he was loyal in love like grandfather and uncle. She should give him and herself a chance in the future and not reject him. If he was a loyal and devoted man, she shouldn¡¯t miss out. But if he was not, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to push him away.

    The next day was December 29th. Tomorrow was the reunion day. The government was also on holiday. So, after breakfast that morning, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi told Mu YingRui and Nee Liu respectively some things and rode on horseback. They went to visit the camp of soldiers in the north who protected the capital and the armed guards of five cities. They would probably return after dinnertime.

    Today was a big party for the soldiers. As themanders, it wouldn¡¯t be good if Old General Mu and Mu YingYi left early. After Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping heard this, they exchanged meaningful looks and immediately stood up. They and Nee Liu sent Old General Mu and Mu YingYi to the door.

    When they came back, Nee Liu said, ¡°Brother-inw and sister-inw, go ahead if you want to send gifts to Duke Yingguo fu! I have already prepared the gifts for the Duke.¡±

    Mu YingRui immediately shook his head. ¡°We won¡¯t go to Duke Yingguo fu before the New Year. Please send the gifts to my father-inw and tell him and my mother-inw that your sister-inw isn¡¯t feeling well. We will return on the third.¡±

    Mu YingRui was her elder after all. Even if Nee Liu didn¡¯t like him, she could not express it on her face. So she nodded and faintly asked, ¡°Is sister-inw feeling okay? Does she need a doctor?¡±

    Although she asked that, her heart was in despise. Wang Yiping was probably exaggerating again. Since Mu YingRui returned, he had been staying in her courtyard, making the concubinesin.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. She just needs a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Wang Yiping hurriedly refused delicately.

    She knew that the doctor could note or she would be humiliated again. Her waist and back were sore, but that was because Laoye had returned and did *** with her every night.

    Thinking of this, she looked bashfully and coquettishly at Mu YingRui.

    Nee Liu looked at her expression and contemptuously curtsied to Mu YingRui. ¡°Then I will go make arrangements.¡±

    Nee Liu had no right to sleep. She was very busy. She had to send gifts to different fus and organize the return gifts. Plus, she had to prepare tomorrow night¡¯s family dinner. She was so busy that her feet almost didn¡¯t touch the ground.

    Zi You had especially given the girls in the female medical team the day off. She allowed them to purchased items from the market.

    The General¡¯s Manor had made two sets of new clothing for each of them to spend Spring Festival in the General¡¯s Manor.

    Thus, they didn¡¯t need to buy clothes or food. But the girls needed to buy their own rouge, powder, purses, handkerchiefs, silk flowers, and such.

    The government gave them a sry of 800 coins every month. The General¡¯s Manor gave them one silver. They usually didn¡¯t have time to go outside, so they saved money up until now. They had more than three silvers each.

    Zi You had Uncle Jiang and his wife, Rong Yunhe, and three other male ves, Xie Changsheng, Sun Xinsheng, and Luo Weicheng escort them to the market.

    Forty-six little girls were like a flock of birds that got out of their cages. They chattered and twittered and happily left the General¡¯s Manor. They boarded the horse carriages and went to the market.

    After the girls left, Zi You was about to go help the person whom Nee Liu put in charge of receiving the gifts from different fus. But Mu YingRui¡¯s attendant, Yang Qingjun, summoned her.

    He was already here. They really couldn¡¯t wait even a moment.

    Zi You went to Youran Ju and made preparations. She quietly told Shiyun some words and leisurely walked to Mu YingRui¡¯s study.

    She looked around. Wang Yiping wasn¡¯t there, but Liu Yanhong was kneeling there.

    Zi You pretended to be surprised when she saw her. Then she curtsied to Mu YingRui and asked, ¡°You¡¯er pays respects to father. Why is the yatou Hong¡¯er here? I was wondering why I didn¡¯t see her this morning. So she ran over here. She really doesn¡¯t know the rules.¡±

    Liu Yanhong was, after all, her maidservant. Even if she made a mistake, if Mu YingRui respected his daughter, he would hand Liu Yanhong over for Zi You to punish.

    But Mu YingRui obviously did not put Zi You in his eyes. Then she didn¡¯t need to be polite to this ungrateful g father.

    Her words just now publicly condemned Liu Yanhong, but in fact mocked her father for not following the rules. Which father wouldn¡¯t even ask his daughter and call his daughter¡¯s maidservant into his own study and order her to kneel?

    The reality was that Mu YingRui called Liu Yanhong into the study to use both hard and soft tactics. ¡°As long as you say that everything you did was ordered by Xiaojie, Laoye will not punish you. After the New Year, Ye will think of a way to raise your position and name you Seventh Yiniang. But if you are not obedient, Ye will sell you to the lowest-level brothel.¡±

    Liu Yanhong was originally not a good person. She would forget all moral principles in the face of profits and was greedy and vain. The reason she yielded to Zi You was because of her own interests. First, she didn¡¯t want to die. Secondly, she thought that Zi You would help her be Mu YingRui¡¯s Seventh Yiniang and rise from a maidservant to a master.

    Now, hearing Mu YingRui¡¯s words, she immediately cried like pear blossoms in the rain, arousing people¡¯s tenderness. ¡°Please forgive Nubi, Laoye. Nubi likes Laoye. That¡¯s why Nubi listened to Xiaojie¡¯s orders. As long as Nubi can do something for Laoye, Nubi is willing to do anything.¡±

    Mu YingRui looked at her in white coat and moon-white cotton dress. She had not applied makeup or worn jewelry. Compared to her earlier seductiveness, she was more beautiful and elegant. She did indeed have a unique vor. He had to sample it.

    Mu YingRui was already hooked by her. When he heard her words, he couldn¡¯t help but think of their entanglement earlier. His heart jumped and he went over to pull her into his arms. He smiled lecherously. ¡°Ye knows that you admire Ye. As long as you do what Ye says, Ye promises to dote on you in the future.¡±

    Liu Yanhong nestled in Mu YingRui¡¯s arms and proudly smiled. The pair of dog couple quickly rolled into bed. Soon, the big bed in the study started making creaking sounds again.

    Liu Yanhong knelt there and remembered Laoye¡¯s tenderness to herst night. She had something to rely on now. How could she be afraid of Zi You? She thought, ¡®After the Festival, I will go to Quanzhou with Laoye immediately. Can you still chase me to Quanzhou to kill me?¡¯

    Thus, she did what Mu YingRui ordered and looked up at Zi You. She pretended to courageously whisper, ¡°Xiaojie, didn¡¯t you order Nubi toe here and seduce Laoye? You said that as long as Nubi can take Laoye¡¯s love away from Furen and not let Furen get pregnant, you will think of a way to make Nubi Laoye¡¯s Seventh Yiniang. Nubi followed your orders and used an aphrodisiac on Laoye. Now that Laoye has found out, how can you pretend that you don¡¯t know anything?¡±

    Mu YingRui heard Liu Yanhong¡¯s words and forget that all of this was his and Wang Yiping¡¯s n. It was as if he really heard that Zi You really ordered Liu Yanhong.

    He bitterly clutched his chest and reprimanded, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that your grandfather would spoil you into this. Your mind is so sinister and malevolent. You actually scheme against your own parents. You rebellious daughter. Why aren¡¯t you kneeling?¡±

    Zi You looked at her g father¡¯s performance just to punish her. Her heart froze over. Her gaze at Mu YingRui was sharp like a sword, as if she wanted to pierce through him. ¡°Father only listened to this maidservant¡¯s words and convicted daughter. You don¡¯t even ask daughter for an exnation?

    ¡°Rebellious daughter, I told you to kneel down. You still dare to talk back. Do you want to disobey your father?¡± Mu YingRui saw that Zi You not only did not kneel, but instead reproached him. He was so angry that his face turned green and he angrily scolded.

    Zi You thought he was more of a disgrace. Her previous and current livesbined together. She had no more respect or daughterly love for this father.

 Chapter 145 A Plan to Teach Slag Father and Evil Slave a Lesson [2]

    <h4>Chapter 145 A n to Teach g Father and Evil ve a Lesson [2]</h4>

    Zi You didn¡¯t kneel, but stood there resolutely. Her body let out an awe-inspiring momentum. Ayer of frost was on her jade-like white face that was exuding endless coldness.

    Her voice was still sweet, but it was like a strong me amongst peach blossoms in March, on a snowy mountain¡¯s peak. The blend of ice and firebined into a sonorous voice, such as jade hitting ice. She enunciated, ¡°With a cold-blooded and callous father like you, how can your daughter respect you?

    ¡°Once a new bride married over, you condone her to disrespect your previous wife. For your own interests, you poisoned your daughter with her. Now, it¡¯s even better. You actually listen to her and frame her with her maidservant. Mu YingRui, how you have let me down.¡±

    When thest sentence was spoken, Zi You¡¯s voice and expression were exactly the same as Dier¡¯s.

    She looked colder at Mu YingRui and with even more me. She said, ¡°I only have You¡¯er, my only child. But you can¡¯t tolerate her and try to harm and scheme against her. You are a heartless animal!

    ¡°Want to hurt my daughter? Huh....... Please find a better reason. You¡¯er is a little girl. What does she know about aphrodisiacs? If you are not lustful and lecherous, how can anyone seduce you? Now that you¡¯ve slept with her, you want to talk about your chastity? You¡¯re shameless to the extreme! Now that father isn¡¯t here, you dare to harm You¡¯er. Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma?¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s soul was almost scared away with the scolding. He looked at Zi You as if he saw a ghost.

    And Liu Yanhong was also terrified! She saw Zi You look at her like a ghost, with sinister eyes. ¡°Slut! You are indeed like your original master. Both are cheap and dirty! You¡¯er trusts you so much, but you actually took advantage of her naivety and kindness to reward you with good foods, clothing, and jewelry. I didn¡¯t think that you would be so vicious! I will take care of you on behalf of the heavens today!¡±

    She extended a white hand with long nails and walked towards Liu Yanhong step by step.

    ¡°Ghost......¡± Liu Yanhong shouted loudly and wanted to run.

    Mu YingRui was scared and wanted to run too, but his legs didn¡¯t listen to him. He trembled as he looked at Zi You. He pretended to be courageous as he reprimanded, ¡°You...... Don¡¯t pretend to be a ghost. I¡¯m telling you...... don¡¯t use your mother to scare me...... I...... I¡¯m not afraid of her.¡±

    ¡°Pah, pah, pah......¡± He had finished speaking and his face was pped by someone five or six times.

    Mu YingRui did not see anyone move, but he could feel pain. Then a fishy sweetness gushed out of his mouth.

    Mu YingRui spat. Two teeth and blood fell out together.

    He looked in disbelief at Zi You. But she was ring ferociously at Liu Yanhong right now. She was at least six or seven steps away from him. Also, he did not see Zi You move. He also did not see her body move. So who hit him?

    Zi You saw him looking at her and coldly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m warning your little wife to get rid of the heart to harm my daughter. Otherwise, I will make her wish that she was dead. And you, I don¡¯t expect you to love my daughter. But if you dare to harm her, I will not forgive you! This time, it¡¯s your teeth. Next time will be your hands and feet. If there is another time, it will be your dog life! Those who oppose me and harm my daughter will die! Die! Die......¡±

    At the end, she gnashed her teeth, her face was ferocious, and her hair was messy. She floated up, just like a female ghost from Hell.

    Mu YingRui wanted to severely teach Zi You a lesson today. He was afraid that others would hear and tell Nee Liu toe save her, so he not only closed the door to the study, but let down the curtains.

    As a result, the study was already dark. Now, with Zi You¡¯s appearance, it was false if no one was scared. At this moment, anyone would probably be scared looking at her right now. Not to mention Mu YingRui and Liu Yanhong had guilty consciences.

    The two people suddenly cried out and fainted away. Zi You also suddenly copsed onto the ground too.

    Shiyun was currently pacing back and forth in Youran Ju. She had been staring at the hourss and calcting the time.

    After half an hour had passed, she quickly walked towards the reception room that Nee Liu used to receive guests.

    When she got there, Nee Liu was talking to Duke Anguo furen¡¯s Xie mama.

    Shiyun was worried about Xiaojie and didn¡¯t have time to curtsy. She walked over to her and whispered into her ear, ¡°Second Furen, Laoye first called away Liu Yanhong in anger. Then he had someone call Xiaojie into the study. It has been half an hour and Xiaojie hasn¡¯t returned yet. Nubi went to the study, but Steward Yang won¡¯t let Nubi get close.¡±

    Nee Liu couldn¡¯t remain calm. She quickly smiled and said to Xie mama, ¡°Mama, I have something urgent to handle. Please sit here for a bit.¡±

    Xie mama was not a blind person. She looked at the situation and hastily took her leave. ¡°Please do what you need to do, Second Furen. Laonu has been here for a while and should go back to report.¡±

    Nee Liu lightly smiled and nodded. ¡°Then I will not make you stay. Go back and tell Duke Anguo furen that I will visit her after the festival.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Laonu takes her leave.¡± Xie mama curtsied and left.

    As soon as she left, Nee Liu quickly said to Shiyun, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She was anxious. Half an hour was enough for Mu YingRui to hurt Zi You many times. When she thought of his previous heartlessness to Zi You, Nee Liu was anxious. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly scold, ¡®You beast! You took your daughter and her maidservant to the study. What exactly do you want to do?¡¯

    Once she thought that, she was more anxious. She immediately turned to Aunt Lan. ¡°Have someone quickly inform Lao TaiYe and my husband.¡±

    Nee Liu went to the study. Yang Qingjun went over to stop her. ¡°Apologies! Second Furen, Laoye and Xiaojie are talking. No one is allowed to disturb them.¡±

    Nee Liu strongly suppressed her anger. She coldly said, ¡°I have something urgent to find Xiaojie for. Hurry and let them know. Otherwise, you will be responsible if the matter is dyed!¡±

    Yang Qingjun looked at Nee Liu using her mistress-of-the-house attitude and had no choice but to go knock on the study door.

    However, there was no reaction after knocking for a long time. He quickly listened at the door. Then he shook his head helplessly at Nee Liu. ¡°Inside...... There seems to be no one inside.¡±

    ¡°What does ¡®there seems to be no one inside¡¯ mean?¡± Nee Liu was furious. ¡°Are you dead? You¡¯ve been standing guard out here here. You don¡¯t know whether your Laoye and Xiaojie came out? What do you have eyes for?¡±

    She waved her hand and said to two mamas who knew martial arts. ¡°You two open the door for me. If First Laoye wants to me someone, then he me me!¡±

    The two mamas were sent by Mu YingYi to protect her after she married into the General¡¯s Manor.

    Their martial arts were not weak and they were very loyal to Nee Liu. Other than her, Mu YingYi, Old General Mu, and Zi You, they couldn¡¯t be ordered by anyone else.

    At this moment, they went over and pushed Yang Qingjun away without hesitation.

    The door to the study was loudly opened. But the situation inside made people stunned!

    Mu YingRui, Zi You, and that Liu Yanhong had copsed on the ground. It was a mess under Liu Yanhong. Apparently, she was frightened into urinating over herself.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s handsome face had be a pig¡¯s head. There was a small spot of blood on the ground. There were two teeth in the middle of the blood.

    Zi You was about ten steps away from them. Her teeth were clenched tight, her face was pale, and her lips trembled. Her whole body shivered. She stood there and scared everyone with her appearance.

    Nee Liu didn¡¯t care about the others and directly rushed over to Zi You. She cried out loudly, ¡°You¡¯er, You¡¯er...... Heavens. What happened? Why was she fine in the morning and became like this now? Someone, find a doctor and bring Lao TaiYe, and Second Laoye back......¡±

    The room was suddenly chaotic. Compared to Mu YingRui and Liu Yanhong, all of the servants only cared about Zi You.

    It was true that Mu YingRui and Liu Yanhong fainted. But judging from the situation, their conditions were not as serious as Xiaojie¡¯s. Xiaojie¡¯s face had no color, as if she died.

    If something happened to Xiaojie, Old General Mu would probably kill someone. The servants didn¡¯t dare dy. Some went to invite the doctor and some carried people out. They were all busy.

    When the study was empty, the Shangguan LingRan, who was hanging upside down like a bat from a beam in the roof, opened the window and flew out quietly like a smart wild cat.

    Yes, the n to punish Mu YingRui today was thought of by Shangguan LingRan. When he suggested pping Mu YingRui, he was originally afraid that Zi You would not agree.

    But Zi You¡¯s performance amazed him. ¡°If he really wants to harm me, then go ahead and teach him a lesson. I am really tired of him. If he is callous, then he can¡¯t me me for being unjust.¡±

    With Zi You¡¯s approval, Shangguan LingRan certainly wouldn¡¯t let Mu YingRui off. He only used 10% of his strength in those ps, but they were enough to punish Mu YingRui.

    Zi You pretended to be possessed by her mother Dier and scolded her father. Even he felt refreshed listening to her words. Only a ruthless woman like this is fit to my An Wang Shizifei. If I marry her and join forces with her, that old man, two cefeis, and their sons will be suppressed.

    The imperial doctor came. Mu YingRui and Liu Yanhong woke up after an acupuncture session. The two were feeling guilty and were scared into fainting. There were no big issues with them.

 Chapter 146 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Slag Son [1]

    <h4>Chapter 146 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His g Son [1]</h4>

    But after taking Zi You¡¯s pulse, the imperial doctor shook his head in embarrassment. ¡°This is my first time seeing a pulse likes Xiaojie¡¯s since this official started practicing medicine. It¡¯s very messy, as if there are two people¡¯s pulses beating. My skills are inferior. I can¡¯t diagnose why Xiaojie is unconscious and can¡¯t wake up. This official will try acupuncture. If she still doesn¡¯t wake up, then please seek a more superior doctor, Second Furen.¡±

    He performed acupuncture, but there was no response from Zi You. The imperial doctor broke out in a cold sweat on a cold day. He shook his head helplessly, ¡°Second Furen, apologies. This official......¡±

    ¡°What is wrong with You¡¯er (my granddaughter)?¡± The imperial doctor did not finish speaking, but Old General Mu and Mu YingYi had rushed inside.

    Nee Liu saw her father-inw and husband return and her tense nerves rxed. Her tears were like a flood that broke from its banks and poured out. ¡°Father, husband, what should we do? You¡¯er won¡¯t wake up......¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s tiger body staggered. Fortunately, My YingYi helped him on the side, so that he did not fall over. The two rushed over to the imperial doctor and asked angrily, ¡°What is wrong with You¡¯er?¡±

    Father and son had been through a baptism of blood and fire on the battlefield. Could that momentum and pressure be something that Imperial Doctor Mo, who was on duty that day at the Imperial Hospital, bear? His face turned white and cold sweat dripped down like rain. He stammered a reply. ¡°Xiaojie¡¯s pulse is too...... too strange. This official...... This official has never seen it before. Old General, please...... Please invite the main imperial doctor over! Or..... Or you can ask First Laoye what...... what happened.¡±

    Old General Mu immediately said to Mu YingYi, ¡°Go personally invite the main imperial doctor over to treat You¡¯er.¡±

    Then he said to Nee Liu, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. What happened? Tell me first.¡±

    In the end, he was someone used to the battlefield. Old General Mu was distressed about his granddaughter and anxious, but knew that he could not panic and immediately calmed down.

    Nee Liu did not dare to dy. She hurriedly wiped her tears away and fought back her grief and indignation. She then told him the ins and outs of what had happened.

    After Old General Mu finished listening, he felt that his whole body turn extremely cold, like he was immersed in ice water:. He didn¡¯t need to ask. His son must have certainly taken advantage of him not being in the house and did something to his granddaughter. Otherwise, why would You¡¯er be unconscious and wouldn¡¯t wake up? Even the imperial doctor was helpless.

    Old General Mu was furious. His face turned livid. A sharp pressure appeared in his voice. ¡°That animal is awake, right? He and that wife of his haven¡¯te to visit You¡¯er, right?¡±

    Nee Liu thought of how as soon as Mu YingRui woke up, he was angrily cursing ¡°that beast¡± and ¡°that rebellious daughter.¡± Nee Liu sighed.

    Nee Liu thought of Wang Yiping crying out when Mu YingRui was carried into her room. ¡°Heavens! What happened? Laoye, Bieqie had advised you not to discipline You¡¯er, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Now, it¡¯s great. You¡¯ve even paid with your life. Her heart is resentful. Even if you treat her wholeheartedly, she won¡¯t understand.¡±

    Nee Liu nodded helplessly. She said, ¡°Brother-inw and sister-inw seem to have a misunderstanding that You¡¯er did something unforgivable to them. You¡¯er¡¯s maidservant Liu Yanhong seems to be involved. Does father want to call her over and ask her what happened? She was at the scene earlier.¡±

    Old General My waved his hand majestically. ¡°Bring her here!¡±

    Liu Yanhong was brought over shortly. Old General Mu took a look. She was actually Wang Yiping¡¯s actress yiniang¡¯s maidservant. He felt a sense of disgust.

    Thus, his tone of voice was colder and more severe. ¡°Why did First Laoye call you and Xiaojie into his study? You better honestly exin to this general! Hurry and speak!¡±

    Old General Mu mmed his hand on a table. The table instantly broke into pieces.

    Liu Yanhong was scared into trembling. Her brain quickly thought. Should she say it or not? There were only her, Laoye, and Xiaojie in the study, after all. If Xiaojie could not wake up, then she could quietly follow Laoye to take up his post. But if Xiaojie woke up, then could she live if she lied to Old General Mu now?

    Liu Yanhong was extremely conflicted. She frowned as she thought hard and did not immediately answer Old General Mu.

    Old General Mu was always honest and aboveboard and spent his life on formations andmanding an army. He could only fight in wars and didn¡¯t know how to scheme. But that didn¡¯t mean that he was a fool who didn¡¯t know how to read people.

    Once he saw Liu Yanhong¡¯s appearance, he knew what she was thinking. She actually dared to y games with him. Old General Mu coldlyughed. ¡°Don¡¯t y games with this general. If you dare to say one false thing, this general will sever all the tendons in your hands and feet. Then throw you into a snake pit so you can experience tens of thousands of snakes biting you. Hurry and say it.¡±

    Liu Yanhong looked up in fright. She coincidentally looked into Old General Mu¡¯s wide and fiery tiger eyes. That gaze was sharp like a sword and prated her body. It scared her into breaking out into a cold sweat and soaked through her inner clothing with a ¡°whoosh.¡±

    Her defenses finally copsed. She described in detail how Mu YingRui instigated her to frame Zi You and what had happened in the study.

    However, she wasn¡¯t stupid. She didn¡¯t say how Zi You repaired her hymen and had her seduce Mu YingRui.

    She knew that after she gave up Mu YingRui¡¯s scheme, her dream of bing Seventh Yiniang would copse. If she offended Zi You too, she really would only have a road to death left.

    Even now, she wasn¡¯t certain that Xiaojie would let her off and pursue her temporary defection. Her only hope was for Xiaojie to spare her life because she told Old General Mu¡¯s Mu YingRui¡¯s conspiracy.

    After all, she needed to live to enjoy wealth and prosperity. Her life wasn¡¯t even guaranteed right now, so how could she consider anything else?

    Liu Yanhong¡¯s words really angered Old General Mu into losing his rationality. He had thought before that his son possibly wanted to take advantage that he wasn¡¯t home to deal with his granddaughter. But it wasn¡¯t confirmed, after all.

    Besides, after Mu YingRui had returned, You¡¯er didn¡¯t do anything unforgiveable to him. Old General Mu couldn¡¯t think of why his son wanted to target her.

    But the truth was really so terrible and ugly. So his son was so cold-blooded that he couldn¡¯t tolerate his own daughter. He wholeheartedly wanted to kill her.

    Was such an animal his son? No! No, he wasn¡¯t.

    Old General Mu was disheartened and filled with grief and indignation. He pulled out his Longyin Sword and kicked away the kneeling Liu Yanhong. He went towards Yiping Ju with a murderous aura. He only had one thought. He was going to kill his unfilial son. Then he would go to the underworld and plead for forgiveness from his wife.

    Old General Mu was someone who practiced martial arts. His one kick broke two of Liu Yanhong¡¯s ribs. She cried out in pain, copsed onto the ground, and fainted.

    Mu YingYi saw his father pull his sword out and was now rushing angrily to his brother and sister-inw¡¯s courtyard. He was scared and hurriedly went over to stop him. ¡°Father, you can¡¯t. Even if brother is a b*stard, you can¡¯t kill him.¡±

    Old General Mu was burning with anger. He was already angered by his son until he lost his rationality. What time of the year was this? This is the Spring Festival for family reunions! Even if you don¡¯t love your daughter, you can¡¯t pick this time to do anything. You want the whole house to not have a good New Year, like you? Since you want everyone to have a bad time, then I will end you unfilial son.

    A wrathful Old General Mu was someone that even the Emperor could not necessarily stop, much less Mu YingYi. When Old General Mu was thirty years old, his most valued lieutenant died. He was so angry that he picked up his Longyin Sword and killed thirty-six enemies in one breath.

    That spectacr momentum scared the enemies into losing their souls. They were afraid once his name was mentioned from then on. The name ¡°Longyin Killing God¡± was derived like this.

    Mu YingYi saw that he couldn¡¯t stop his father and on one hand, he ran after him madly. On the other hand, he sent someone to see if Zi You woke up yet. He knew that only You¡¯er could stop Old General Mu. Even he and his brother could not.

    Before Old General Mu stepped into Yiping Ju, Zi You had already woken up. In fact, she was not pretending to be unconscious earlier. Because she was in grief, she really was unconscious for some time. In the moment when she pretended to be possessed by her mother, the memory of the things that Mu YingRui did to her in her previous life surged forwards. Her hatred was heaven-piercing and monstrous. After scolding her g father, she really fainted due to her excited state.

    Afterwards, she woke up when she was carried back to Youran Ju. When the imperial doctor was taking her pulse, she used her internal power to make her pulse disordered. Even the imperial doctor did not find out the real reason for her unconsciousness.

    When Old General Mu came, she pretended not to wake up out of guilt. She really had no face to see her grandfather. In order to disrupt the vicious woman Wang Yiping¡¯s n, she could only let her grandfather be sad and angry again.

    Originally, Zi You wanted to hide it from grandfather. But she thought again and knew that it wasn¡¯t realistic to hide it. If Mu YingRui hurt her, grandfather would be sad if he found out. But if she hurt Mu YingRui, Mu YingRui would certainly run over to grandfather and me her.

    So after thinking left and right, she still listened to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s persuasion. ¡°You¡¯er, I think that you shouldn¡¯t hide this from grandfather. He must know about your father¡¯s cold-bloodedness and heartlessness. Only this way, would grandfather will bepletely disappointed in him. Only when grandfather holds no more hope towards your father, would he feel more loving towards you.

    ¡°As long as grandfather holds no hope for your father and is cold to him, your father will hate the Wang Yiping whom instigated him. No matter what, grandfather is your father¡¯s father. No son doesn¡¯t want his father¡¯s approval.¡±

    These words were from Shangguan LingRan¡¯s personal experience. No matter how indifferent his Fuwang was to him or how much Shangguan LingRan hated and resented him, he was still very eager to get his Fuwang¡¯s recognition and love.

    Zi You considered for a long time before she nodded to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s suggestion. But agreeing was just agreeing. When she heard grandfather, uncle, and aunt¡¯s anxious and sad voices, before she saw their extremely grieving faces, her heart already ached until she wanted to die.

    At this moment, she really hated Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping. She hated so much that for the first time, she had the thought to kill them both. What filial piety? What blood was thicker than water? Did that g man and poisonous woman count?

    When Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were interrogating Liu Yanhong, Zi You didn¡¯t dare to feign consciousness anymore. She quickly woke up. She understood Liu Yanhong too well. She was not a strong and brave person. Although she was greedy for wealth and riches, she was not willing to use her life to exchange for them.

    Sure enough, after Zi You woke up for a little while, the person, whom Mu YingYi had sent to inquire if she was awake, came.

    Once she heard that Old General Mu went to Yiping Ju with his sword, Zi You was panicked. She quickly put her clothes on and ran out.

    At this moment, she really hated that she couldn¡¯t stab the dog man and woman to death! The family was really in turmoil every day with them around.

    If her g father wasn¡¯t back, the poisonous woman wouldn¡¯t make any waves. Once the g father was back, the poisonous woman had to cause trouble. She didn¡¯t stop for even a moment.

    Fortunately, the g father was taking up a post elsewhere. If he was transferred back to the capital, wouldn¡¯t this never stop?

    Her g father still had a year and a half to fulfill his prefectural post. She could not let him return.

    As Zi You swore an oath to herself, she ran into Yiping Ju. She heard Mu YingRui¡¯s piercing wailing. ¡°Father, You¡¯er is pretending to be obedient and well-behaved in front of you. You don¡¯t know how wicked her mind is. She actually...... Actually had her maidservante seduce me and give me an aphrodisiac......¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Before Mu YingRui finished speaking, Old General Mu interrupted him. ¡°You¡¯re shameless, but I am not. You know exactly what you have done.¡±

    ¡°What did I do? Father, why don¡¯t you believe your son?¡± Mu YingRui¡¯s sad and indignant voice sounded again. Although Zi You could not see his face, she could imagine his pained face.

    When she thought of how her biological father was so hypocritical just to deal with her, his biological daughter, Zi You¡¯s body was cold to the bone, as if she was immersed in an ice pool.

    She pushed aside the maidservants in front of her and went into the room.

    Mu YingYi was the first one to see her. He looked at her pale face and unsteady gait and quickly rushed to help her.

    His surprise was mixed with sympathy as he asked, ¡°You¡¯er, you¡¯ve woke up? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    Old General Mu originally had his back facing her. When he heard his second son¡¯s words, he immediately turned around and rushed over to his granddaughter.

    He looked her up and down and left and right. After careful scrutiny, he was distressed and sad. His tiger eyes were tearful as he asked, ¡°You¡¯er, are you okay? You have to tell grandfather if you¡¯re not feeling well.¡±

    Mu YingRui also saw her at this time. His eyes didn¡¯t hold any concern, care, or love. There was only resentment and me.

    He scolded, ¡°How can she be unwell? She even dares to hit her own father. Can she be unwell? Father, brother, can¡¯t you see that I¡¯ve been beaten by her until I¡¯m ck and blue? You only know how to be distressed over her. Do you know what that rebellious daughter did to me?¡±

    Wang Yiping was originally shedding tears silently on the side. When she heard Mu YingRui¡¯s words, she immediately looked at Zi You. She said sadly, ¡°You¡¯er, even if your father is not good, he is still your biological father. Even if you hate him, you cannot hit him!¡±

    Zi You looked at Wang Yiping¡¯s hypocritical appearance and her g father¡¯s resentful, poisonous gaze. She didn¡¯t have a trace of hesitation anymore.

 Chapter 147 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His Slag Son [2]

    <h4>Chapter 147 Old General Mu Angrily Punishes His g Son [2]</h4>

    Zi You gritted her teeth and knelt in front of Mu YingRui. ¡°Father, daughter doesn¡¯t know what daughter did wrong, for you to hate daughter so much. You still have the mark from the p on your face. Look at daughter¡¯s hand and see if it¡¯s that big. If you think that daughter shouldn¡¯t be in this world, you can kill daughter. Daughter will have noints. But......

    ¡°But....... Why do you put the sin of disrespect on daughter¡¯s head? Daughter is here. If you want to kill, please do so...... But...... Please don¡¯t let grandfather be sad. He is getting old. He cannot...... He cannot stand the torture.......¡±

    In the end, Zi You¡¯s tears fell like rain. Her body trembled and she kowtowed desperately to Mu YingRui. Her intive, weak, sad, and helpless appearance made Old General Mu and Mu YingYi¡¯s hearts ached.

    Old General Mu looked indignantly at Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping. He asked, with a tone of me, ¡°What did You¡¯er do that you can¡¯t tolerate her? You try to harm her again and again. You really make people turn cold! Forget it. YingYi is right. You, this animal, are not worth it for me to kill you.

    ¡°Leave You¡¯er behind. From now on, you take your wives and concubines and immediately, right now, scram out of the General¡¯s Manor. Henceforth, you are no longer my son. Everything you do has nothing to do with me. I will remove you from the genealogy records tomorrow. You¡¯er, don¡¯t kowtow to him anymore. He doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡±

    Old General Mu pulled Zi You to leave.

    Mu YingRui was really panicked this time! His officialdom would end if he was expelled from the General¡¯s Manor and removed from the genealogy records.

    No matter how the Emperor was secretly, he had always maintained an image of a filial son.

    He had publicly dered many times that, ¡°Our Great Yan rules the world with filial piety. Any unfilial or disobedient person, once verified, will never be an official in the court of Great Yan.¡±

    If he learned that Mu YingRui was expelled from the house and removed from the genealogy records by his father because he wanted to scheme against his daughter the day before New Year¡¯s Eve, he would soon be the country¡¯sughingstock. He would be a street rat whom everyone would shout and beat at.

    Then he would be stripped of his official title and be amoner. He was a fourth-rank prefectural magistrate not because of his ability, but because of his father. Otherwise, with his third-fromst results in the imperial examination, could he smoothly rise to be a prefectural magistrate?

    Although Mu YingRui was a scoundrel and lecher, he was self-aware.

    At this point, he could no longer pretend. When Old General Mu rushed in with a sword, he saw Mu YingYi trying desperately to stop him, so he knew that he wouldn¡¯t die. He immediately pretended to be heavily injured and bedridden. He wailed andined about Zi You. ¡°There is actually a daughter dares to hit her father in this world? Father, look at the injuries on my face. Ask clearly about the matter. It¡¯s not toote to kill me then.¡±

    Old General Mu originally really wanted to stab him with one swordstrike. But Mu YingYi saw that his rogue-like behavior was just like local hoodlums. He couldn¡¯t help but say, disheartened, ¡°Father, your sword is used to kill enemies. This rogue b*stard doesn¡¯t deserve to die under your sword. It will dirty your sword.¡±

    Old General Mu looked at Mu YingRui and really didn¡¯t have the heart to kill him anymore. He thought that killing him would really defile his Longyin Sword.

    Those who died under his Longyin Sword might have been enemies, but they were steadfast soldiers. So now, he didn¡¯t have the heart to kill Mu YingRui. Old General Mu was disheartened to the extreme.

    Mu YingRui crawled out and didn¡¯t even put his shoes on to run and catch up with his father. An adult man cried until tears filled his face. ¡°Father, if son is wrong, you can scold or kill son. Son will not dare to have aint. But son doesn¡¯t want to leave the General¡¯s Manor. Son lost his mother at the age of fourteen. Son doesn¡¯t want to have no father too.¡±

    Although Mu YingRui was scared, he did not forget that his mother was his father¡¯s weakness. Every time Old General Mu was angry, as long as he pulled out his mother, Old General Mu would let him off. This proved effective every time.

    Zi You¡¯s grandmother was actually Old General Mu¡¯s shimei [younger martial sister]. Dongfang Biyun was a military family¡¯s descendant too. Her father Dongfang Xiaojian was Great Yan¡¯s second-rank military governor and Longxi County Commander Shen Liang¡¯s sworn brother.

    Later, Shen Liang was falsely used of treason and his whole family was executed. Dongfang Xiaojian was disheartened. He resigned and went back to his hometown. He met the poor, but honest and talented Old General Mu: Mu Junyuan. He epted him as his disciple.

    Later on, Old General Mu became the top military scorer in the imperial examination. Many famous and nobledies wanted to marry him, but he had always liked Dongfang Biyun. Only, Old General Mu was a soldier, so he could not always stay by his wife¡¯s side.

    Dongfang Biyun had two young sons, managed the household, served her parents-inw, and also worried about her husband stationed thousands of miles away at the border. She was excessively tired and worried and slowly got a disease. She finally passed away when Mu YingRui was fourteen years old and Mu YingYi was twelve years old.

    Old General Mu¡¯s parents were still alive then and advised him to remarry. But Old General Mu was worried that his sons would suffer, so he did not remarry.

    Perhaps because Mu YingRui was the eldest son and grandson and more lively and cuter than the quiet Mu YingYi, whether it was Old General Mu¡¯s parents or his wife, they were particrly fond of Mu YingRui and spoiled him.

    Later, when Old General Mu returned from the border, he wanted his two sons to practice martial arts. The result was that after four hours of practicing the horse stance every day, Mu YingYi could withstand it, but Mu YingRui tearfullyined to his grandfather, grandmother, and mother. ¡°Grandfather, grandmother, mother, I don¡¯t want to practice martial arts. I want to be a schr and take the imperial examination. I want to be the top scorer in the imperial examination and be a prime minister.¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s parents and wife went to plead on his behalf. His parents used the family card. ¡°Martial arts is too painful. Let¡¯s not talk about anything else, but you are stationed at the border all year long. Have you ever thought about the pain in your parents¡¯ and wife¡¯s hearts? We don¡¯t want to experience the pain of separation again.¡±

    Dongfang Biyun¡¯s analysis was very objective. ¡°Husband, Great Yan values martial arts. But one general in the household has already made the Emperor vignt. If husband, YingYi, and YingRui be generals, then our fu will make the Emperor even more uneasy. Let¡¯s let YingRui learn the civil arts. One schr and one martial artist? Isn¡¯t that very good?¡±

    In this way, Mu YingRui studied the civil arts. But the child who looked very clever was spoiled rotten. He was a person who sought pleasure and could not stand suffering. As a result, his imperial examinations did not go smoothly. He ced third when he was thirteen years old. He merely passed the imperial examination at the age of seventeen, with a bad ranking. But at this time, Mu YingYi was a fifth-rank general of a thousand soldiers.

    That year, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi went to pacify the Nanjiang rebellion and brought Dier back. Because Mu YingYi and Nee Liu were engaged since they were children, there was no other way. Dier could only listen to Old General Mu¡¯s suggestion and marry Mu YingRui.

    But the marriage was indeed a tragedy. Dier wasn¡¯t happy and Mu YingYi didn¡¯t feel good either. In fact, his feelings for Nee Liu weren¡¯t deep, but because of his moral code, he had to marry Nee Liu. Otherwise, if he cancelled the engagement, Nee Liu¡¯s life would be ruined.

    Nee Liu didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so he could not destroy her life. Seeing that Dier was not happy, he finally married Nee Liu when he was twenty years old. That was why Mu YingYi¡¯s eldest son was four years younger than Zi You. A loveless marriage led to three people¡¯s misfortune. Mu YingYi was very respectful to Nee Liu to the point where even Nee Liu could not pick out any fault. But the person Mu YingYi really loved was Dier.

    When he was bitten by the poisonous snake and was pronounced to death, Dier saved him with her spiritual power. When he opened his eyes and saw a fairy-like girl with clear amethyst eyes, his heart immediately jumped. When he learned that the fairy-like girl saved his life, Mu YingYi¡¯s heart immediately fell.

    The reason why the rebellion suppression went particrly smoothly was attributed to Dier. They had spent more than two months together. Their feelings had grown.

    After Dier and Mu YingRui¡¯s marriage failed, she didn¡¯t leave, mainly because of Zi You. Another reason was because she wanted to stay by Old General Mu and Mu YingYi¡¯s side.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were both soldiers. Swords were ruthless on the battlefield. Any ident could happen. She wasn¡¯t reassured. But if she was there, no matter who wanted to kill them, before their souls were shattered, she could still save them from the King of Hell¡¯s hands.

    The righteous and loyal Dier, for her daughter, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi, endured loneliness and grievances and stayed in the General¡¯s Manor for more than ten and a half years, until her mother Goddess Mari brought her back to India.

    Originally, she wanted to bring Zi You with her. But she looked at the sobbing and iron-blooded Old General Mu, who didn¡¯t even cry when his son was bitten by a poisonous snake, and begging her to leave You¡¯er behind. Dier couldn¡¯t bear to refuse.

    And Mu YingYi also said, ¡°Can you not take You¡¯er away? Don¡¯t worry. I will treat her like my own daughter. Leave her behind, okay? Even if I am selfish, please leave her behind. Give me something to remember.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking, but Mu YingYi had bowed his head and didn¡¯t want Dier to see his tears overflowing.

    But how could Dier not know the pain that was in his heart? Facing the man she truly loved, Dier gritted her teeth and left her daughter behind. She returned to the Indian Divine Realm alone.

    Old General Mu was afraid that outsiders would know Dier¡¯s true identity and bring countless troubles to his granddaughter. In desperation, he could only announce that Dier had died. He buried an empty coffin in the Mu family¡¯s ancestral grave. He strictly ordered Mu YingRui to observe mourning. He could remarry only after three yearster.

    But after only one year and ten months, Mu YingRui had entangled with Wang Yiping. Old General Mu was furious, so he did not let him marry Wang Yiping immediately. Instead, he had him wait until the three years of mourning were over.

 Chapter 148 Old General Angrily Punishes His Slag Son [3]

    <h4>Chapter 148 Old General Angrily Punishes His g Son [3]</h4>

    A kind reader bought me coffees! Thank you very much for your support! Here are the promised chapter parts! ?

    Old General Mu¡¯s heart pained when he heard his son mention his wife. The veins on his hand that was holding his Longyin Sword were about to burst. It was a lie to say if he wasn¡¯t sad. But once he thought of the things that Mu YingRui did, Old General Mu gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. He kicked his son. ¡°Scram!¡±

    When Old General Mu came to Yiping Ju, Wang Yiping¡¯s servants and Mu YingRui¡¯s servants were standing in the courtyard. Old General Mu¡¯s kick had made Mu YingRui lose face. His prestige was lost.

    But Mu YingRui didn¡¯t care about whatever prestige now. Compared to the rest of his wealthy and prosperous life, nothing else was important. He once again sprawled by Old General Mu¡¯s legs. He clung to Old General Mu¡¯s legs and howled, ¡°Father, father. Son was wrong. Son won¡¯t dare to do it again. Don¡¯t kick son out of the house.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s heart was secretly refreshed. She then looked at those whispering servants. Her gaze deepened and she too knelt in front of her grandfather. She tearfully cried, ¡°Grandfather, please don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s fault for not governing the maidservants well and caused this misunderstanding. Grandfather, forgive father. You¡¯er will take on all of father¡¯s punishment. Grandfather, don¡¯t be angry. Let¡¯s talk inside, okay?¡±

    The servants from the General¡¯s Manor who had listened to Wang Yiping¡¯s servants spread rumors that it was really Zi You¡¯s fault looked at the current situation. They looked at how angry Old General Mu was and started whispering. ¡°Did you see that? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. If it¡¯s really Xiaojie¡¯s fault, how can Lao TaiYe treat First Laoye like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If Xiaojie hit First Laoye, then why did she faint?¡±

    ¡°Then what happened to Liu Yanhong? Could she have crawled onto First Laoye¡¯s bed? First Laoye really is blessed. His number of women are about to catch up to the Emperor¡¯s harem. Why does everyone climb onto his bed and not Second Laoye¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    The servants did not know the truth. They only knew the rumors that Wang Yiping¡¯s servants had spread:

    ¡°Xiaojie is unfilial and doesn¡¯t want her stepmother to give birth to a child to take away her favor. She instigated her own maidservant to seduce First Laoye and drug him. When things were revealed, she pretended to be a ghost when First Laoye disciplined her. She hit First Laoye until even his face is swollen. She is so malicious.¡±

    But now, it seemed like the rumors weren¡¯t true. It was more like First Laoye and First Furen who couldn¡¯t tolerate the Xiaojie who was born from first furen. Otherwise, if Xiaojie hit First Laoye, then Lao TaiYe should kick Xiaojie out of the house and not First Laoye.

    In fact, this was the real reason why Wang Yiping persuaded Mu YingRui to punish Zi You. Beating Zi You up was a small matter. She really wanted to destroy her reputation. During this time when reputation was very important, let¡¯s not mention an underage girl, but if her reputation was ruined, even someone from the imperial family would have her identity greatly reduced.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s real motive was that if Zi You¡¯s reputation was ruined, then Zi You couldn¡¯t establish herself in the capital anymore. Even if Old General Mu was there, she could not find a good family to marry into.

    Being unfilial was like being unclean. Everyone disdained it. She originally wanted to find someone to destroy Zi You¡¯s innocence, but there was no such opportunity. Zi You¡¯s Hundred Herb Garden and Youran Ju had guards sent by Old General Mu. There were even guards when Zi You walked in and out of the house. Wang Yiping simply had no ce to start.

    Zi You looked at the spectating servants outside Yiping Ju and immediately guessed Wang Yiping¡¯s true intentions. As such, she begged Old General Mu for mercy for her father. Sure enough, once her words came out, the servants changed their minds.

    In her previous life, she and Wang Yiping¡¯s rtionship was good, so these things did not happen. Zi You knew that, through her efforts, a lot of things in this lifetime were different from her previous life.

    She didn¡¯t know what was going to happen next, but she had to take careful steps and protect herself and loved ones from harm.

    Zi You¡¯sst sentence reminded Mu YingRui. He looked at the servants¡¯ doubtful, contemptuous, ridiculing, and a variety of gazes. He knew then that Zi You was right. He couldn¡¯t let the servants know about this matter. This should be kept a secret. Obviously, he did not know that Wang Yiping called servants over to watch.

    So, he went over to beg Mu YingYi. ¡°Brother, persuade father to go inside and talk about the misunderstanding. I was anxious before. Please let me say to You¡¯er...... Say that I am sorry......¡±

    ¡°Daughter dares not.¡± Zi You rushed over to kowtow to Mu YingRui. ¡°As long as grandfather and father not argue and as long as grandfather can forgive father and not drive father away, even if you take away Zi You¡¯s life, Zi You will have noints.¡±

    As Zi You was kowtowing, she was ck belly. ¡®You want to pin the charge of being unfilial on me. You really must have hit your head. I will let the whole fu¡¯s servants know that there if there is a stepmother, there is a stepfather and how you and your new wife cannot tolerate your previous wife¡¯s daughter.¡¯

    Zi You¡¯s Nanny Lou also hurried over. She knelt by Zi You and kowtowed to Mu YingRui. She tearfully begged, ¡°First Laoye, please be more tolerant on ount that Xiaojie¡¯s birth mother had passed away early. Look at how Xiaojie¡¯s forehead is all swollen. If the buried furen knows this, how can she rest in peace?

    ¡°That yatou Liu Yanhong is obtained from Furen¡¯s yiniang to help Furen vent her anger. Xiaojie lectures her, so she holds a grudge. That¡¯s why she spreads rumors in front of First Laoye. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, First Laoye.¡±

    Old General Mu heard Nanny Lou¡¯s words and looked at the spectating servants. He was even angrier with Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping. He pulled Zi You up in distress and no longer looked at his oldest son. He angrily reprimanded Nee Liu, who had just rushed over, ¡°Where are the rules of the General¡¯s Manor? Do these servants have no work? Why are they standing here?¡±

    Nee Liu looked at the spectating servants and was secretly startled. This was the time of the year to be busy. The servants each had their own duties, so how could they have free time to gossip here? Moreover, although she was usually kind, she had always been very strict towards the discipline of the servants. She would never allow something as undisciplined as servants spying on their masters.

    Nee Lin was angry. She curtsied to Old General Mu. Then she looked majestically at the spectating servants and said, ¡°Do you have nothing to do? Why aren¡¯t you doing your duties? All the managing stewards, go to the main hall for me.¡±

    This was a strange matter. If no one encouraged them, even if the servants had double the courage, they wouldn¡¯t dare to collectively throw down the work in their hands and run to inquire into the personal affairs of their masters.

    Nee Liu summoned the stewards to the hall, while Old General Mu pulled Zi You to his study.

    Mu YingYi looked coldly at his b*stard brother. He too followed along to his father¡¯s study.

    Mu YingRui crawled up in a fluster and followed the three people.

    He had just entered Old General Mu¡¯s study when he heard Old General Mu violently bellow, ¡°Kneel, you rebellious son. I, Mu Junyuan, am clean and upright. Why do I have a shameless animal of a son like you?¡±

    Mu YingRui didn¡¯t dare to refute this time, but he secretly and fiercely red at Zi You. He thought, ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for you darned yatou, I won¡¯t be beaten and scolded and lose face in front of the servants. This darned yatou is like her mother and always against me.¡¯

    His expression hadpletely fallen into Old General Mu¡¯s and Zi You¡¯s eyes. Even Mu YingYi noticed. He couldn¡¯t help but ask angrily, ¡°Brother, why do you not like You¡¯er? You¡¯er is clever, obedient, sensible, and filial. Why can¡¯t you tolerate her and must be against her? Now, even.......¡±

    Mu YingYi was afraid of destroying the father and daughter rtionship and even more afraid that Zi You would be sad, so he didn¡¯t continue speaking. He really did not understand why there was a father who wanted to punish his daughter so much that he coerced and forced his daughter¡¯s maidservant in order to frame his daughter. It was really unheard of.

    At this time, Mu YingRui did not know that Liu Yanhong had already betrayed him. He had always been very confident in dealing with women, except for that strange creature Dier. He thought that no women could run from his gentle offense.

    Liu Yanhong had already slept with him and became his woman. He also promised her wealth and glory. He really didn¡¯t believe that the little yatou would give up a chance to fly onto the branches and be a phoenix and give him up.

    So, he looked at Mu YingYi and pretended to be aggrieved. He rebutted in a low voice, ¡°I also want to be good to her, but she always disobeys me. Now, she¡¯s even more overboard. To prevent her stepmother from getting pregnant, she actually......¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡± Old General Mu saw that he was still ming Zi You even at this time. He angrily grabbed the ink b and threw it over. ¡°Even to death, you still don¡¯t repent. That Liu Yanhong had already confessed everything. Yet you still have the face to frame You¡¯er.

    ¡°How can there be such an inhumane father in this world? Even an evil tiger won¡¯t eat its cubs. For that malicious woman, you harm your daughter again and again. Are you still human? I don¡¯t have a son like you. Get the hell out of here now. Take your women and scram.¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s forehead was smashed. Blood ¡°whooshed¡± down along with cold sweat. He had never thought that his charms would fail. He immediately cursed Liu Yanhong¡¯s eighteen generations of ancestors. It was good that she wasn¡¯t present or he would have violently beaten up the little woman whom he was calling ¡°darling¡± and ¡°precious¡± in his armsst night. Then he would sell her to the lowest-level brothel.

    Zi You quietly looked at his colorful face that changed colors several times and immediately and coldly sneered.

 Chapter 149 The Malicious Womanâ€™s True Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 149 The Malicious Woman¡¯s True Purpose</h4>

    How does it feel to be betrayed? Not bad, right? From now on, I will let you and your wife taste it over and over again.

    Zi You sneered in her heart, but she went to kneel down with a sad face in front of Mu YingRui. ¡°Father, you¡¯ve been deceived by Liu Yanhong. Let¡¯s not talk about how she caused mother to lose face when she was bitten by a poisonous snake. Such a greedy ve who dares to even betray her master, how can daughter trust her or ask her to do anything secretive?

    ¡°If the person today was one of the four ¡°Yun¡± maidservants, then you can me daughter. Daughter will not feel wronged. But do you think it¡¯s possible with Liu Yanhong? You believed in whatever she said, but you won¡¯t listen to daughter¡¯s exnation?¡±

    Mu YingRui was startled. What did she say? When they were rolling around in bed, Liu Yanhong didn¡¯t say anything. Afterwards, Wang Yiping came toin to him. That was why he believed that Liu Yanhong was ordered by his daughter to seduce him. Then, he did these things ording to Wang Yiping¡¯s arrangements.

    Mu YingRui thought of this and asked without confidence, ¡°Since you didn¡¯t order her, then where did the jewelry and expensive clothing on her bodye from?¡±

    Zi You faintly sighed. ¡°The clothing that mother made for daughter had bright colors and older styles. Daughter didn¡¯t like them, so I gave them all to Shiyun to take care of. All the jewelry is kept by her too. Daughter rarely look at them.

    ¡°You just need to ask Shiyun where Liu Yanhong got all the clothing and jewelry from. Father, daughter is only twelve years old. Please don¡¯t think of daughter as so dirty and shameless, okay?¡±

    Zi You was ck belly inside. To shameless people like you and Wang Yiping, it should be having a taste of your own medicine. Are you worthy of me using noble means against you?

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t wait for Mu YingRui¡¯s reaction and summoned Shiyun over. Even Nanny Lou followed with a parcel in her hands.

    Old General Mu looked at Shiyun and asked austerely, ¡°Xiaojie¡¯s clothing and jewelry are managed by you. Tell me how Liu Yanhong got Xiaojie¡¯s clothing and essories?¡±

    Shiyun curtsied slowly and calmly. She replied, ¡°Lao TaiYe, Xiaojie likes elegant clothing and the style of essories that the previous furen left behind. So, Xiaojie¡¯s clothing and essories are designed by Xiaojie herself. They are made personally by Nubi and Xiucui in the clothing department. essories are made by Zhenbaozhai.

    ¡°The clothing that Furen ordered for Xiaojie is too colorful and the styles are tooplicated. Xiaojie didn¡¯t like them and told Furen before. But Furen said that girls should dress up in bright colors.

    ¡°Xiaojie couldn¡¯t say any more or refuse her elder¡¯s kindness, so she could only ept them. It was a waste to throw the clothing and essories away, but it was a pity to leave them around. To be cost-effective, Nubi could only save the money designated for making the maidservants¡¯ clothing and bestowed all the clothing that Xiaojie does not like to the maidservants.

    ¡°Some of the essories were converted to money and rewarded to the maidservants too. Liu Yanhong likes those bright clothing and essories, so Nubi gave her some ording to her taste. She is clever and knows how to dress up and likes dressing up. This is something that all the maidservants in Youran Ju knows. As for whether she has any other thoughts, how can Xiaojie and Nubi know?¡±

    Nanny Lou opened her parcel and knelt down. She said to Old General Mu, ¡°Lao TaiYe, if you don¡¯t believe it, you can look at these clothing and essories. Second Furen gave the money to the first household ording to Furen¡¯s wishes. Lao TaiYe, please take a look at the clothing and essories that First Furen made for Xiaojie. Then look at Xiaojie¡¯s custom- designed clothing and essories.¡±

    Although Old General Mu did not know about fashion or the current fashion trends, he could see that there was a huge difference in beauty and taste between Wang Yiping¡¯s ordered clothing and essories and Zi You¡¯s.

    It couldn¡¯t be said that the clothing and essories Wang Yiping ordered were of bad quality. In fact, the workmanship on the clothing and essories were even exquisite. But even Old General Mu felt that the colors and styles were vulgar.

    Old General Mu picked up the parcel and threw it at Mu YingRui¡¯s face. He angrily scolded, ¡°She really tries hard. She won¡¯t even let go of this opportunity. She wants to make You¡¯er ugly and vulgar and be ridiculed. Tell me the truth. Did she instigate you to do this matter too?¡±

    ¡°No. no.¡± Mu YingRui¡¯s reply sounded very guilty. Old General Mu was not a fool. What did he not understand?

    Old General Mu sneered. ¡°She will not give up until this family is a mess. For your career and the General Manor¡¯s reputation, I have tolerated her again and again. It seems that she took my patience as a sign of weakness. I¡¯m giving you two choices. First is divorce. Second, you can scram out of General¡¯s Manor. You choose.¡±

    Mu YingRui was stunned silly. He had not reacted, but Nee Liu came forwards and knelt in front of Old General Mu. She had clearly cried. Her eyes were red and swollen. ¡°Father, hand the management of the household over to sister-inw. Daughter-inw doesn¡¯t want to manage anymore and can¡¯t manage anymore.¡±

    Old General Mu was originally very angry. Now that he saw Nee Liu like this, he couldn¡¯t help but angrily scold, ¡°Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve. What are you all doing? If you don¡¯t break up this family, you won¡¯t feel good, right?¡±

    Old General Mu had never raised his voice to Nee Liu before. He had reprimanded her twice today and once was in front of the servants. Nee Liu really felt wronged.

    Before she could exin, she heard Mu YingYi snap, ¡°You don¡¯t think the fu is enough of a mess? You don¡¯t think that father is sad enough? You¡¯re making a scene. Why aren¡¯t you apologizing to father?¡±

    Nee Liu couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Her tears overflowed. ¡°Father, it¡¯s not that daughter-inw wants to make a scene. But brother-inw and sister-inw are dissatisfied with me managing the household. They want to take the management over.

    ¡°They actually had first household¡¯s servants persuade the entire house¡¯s servants not to work, inquire about their masters, and discuss about their masters. Daughter-inw just called the stewards over and asked them, ¡®Why aren¡¯t you disciplining your subordinates, but actually went with your subordinates to watch the show?¡¯

    ¡°As a result, those stewards told daughter-inw that brother-inw and sister-inw¡¯s servants told them that brother-inw wanted them to go to Yiping Ju to see how First Laoye was bullied. At first, the stewards didn¡¯t let the servants go, but......

    ¡°But brother-inw¡¯s Steward Yang told them that as long as they showed up, they would receive one silver in reward. Please exin, brother-inw. What does this mean? Who is bullying you? Or is it that you want me to hand the management power over to sister-inw so you made the servants not respect me first?¡±

    Nee Liu was tearful at the end and finally red angrily at Mu YingRui. She cursed him many times in her heart. Such a shameless man. He was a grown man and he listened to a woman¡¯s instigation to meddle in the inner courtyard. How embarrassing.

    Mu YingRui then understood that he was Wang Yiping¡¯s spear once again. He never had Yang Qingjun call the servants over. After he woke up, Wang Yiping had cried and said, ¡°Laoye, you cannot let this matter go so easily. How can there be ghost possession in broad daylight? You¡¯re probably being yed by your precious daughter again.

    ¡°She knows martial arts now. If she wants to hit you, it¡¯s too easy that she won¡¯t be discovered. Heavens. She¡¯s actually so disobedient to the point of being unfilial. The reason that she is so fearless is because she depends on Lao TaiYe¡¯s doting on her.

    ¡°Wait and see, Laoye. When Lao TaiYe returns, he will punish you rather than scold her. Now, you can only use another n to make Lao TaiYe let you off.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything, so he had acquiesced in his silence. But he didn¡¯t know that the n was to call all the servants in the fu over to see this scene. If he knew, he would never agree. Could it be that having all the servants seeing him being beaten and scolded by his father was a glorious thing?

    ¡°Father, I didn¡¯t know about this. I really didn¡¯t know.¡± Mu YingRui reacted and quickly shirked from responsibility.

    Zi You understood now. This was Wang Yiping¡¯s second motive in her plot. She used the disrespectful servants to cause Nee Liu to be censured by grandfather and hand over the management power.

    But even if Nee Liu did not hand over the management power, Wang Yiping didn¡¯t suffer any losses. After all, the one who was shamed was not her. It was Mu YingRui.

    Even Zi You and Old General Mu said that ¡°an evil tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its cubs.¡± If Old General Mu really hit and kicked his son out of the house the day before New Year¡¯s Eve, then he would be considered vicious and ruthless. Ultimately, the servants would not wonder what Mu YingRui did, especially Wang Yiping¡¯s servants.

    Probably as soon as the New Year was here and every fu held banquets, the scandal in the General¡¯s Manor today would be spread out. Even if Zi You and Old General Mu were innocent, they would only be called unfilial and merciless.

    When there were many people, conversation flowed freely. The General¡¯s Manor had more than 200 servants. With the addition of being driven by money, one word from each person was enough to cause a sensation in the capital.

    Wang Yiping took advantage of people¡¯s love of gossip and money and had Mu YingRui make trouble right before New Year¡¯s. She really spent a lot of thought on this.

    Zi You thought of this and immediately said to Nee Liu, ¡°Aunt, quickly call all the servants in the fu and strictly order them not to spread out what had happened today. During the festival, they are not allowed to go outside. If they have to go outside, they must register where they went, what they did, who they saw, and report back to you. Make sure to reward them two silvers to not talk about this matter. We want to reduce the impact to the minimum.¡±

 Chapter 150 Flogging Wicked Servants, Zi You Establishes Her Prestige [1]

    <h4>Chapter 150 Flogging Wicked Servants, Zi You Establishes Her Prestige [1]</h4>

    Zi You then looked at Old General Mu and said, ¡°Grandfather, tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve. Let¡¯s talk about this after the New Year. Someone wants to see the General¡¯s Manor be made into aughingstock, wants our New Year to be unhappy, and wants father and daughter to hate each other and father and son to fight. We will not do as she wishes and have a happy New Year.¡±

    Old General Mu understood Wang Yiping¡¯s malicious thoughts when he heard Zi You¡¯s words. He angrily red and scolded Mu YingRui. ¡°You idiot. I really don¡¯t know how you are an official. You don¡¯t feel ashamed being yed by a woman like a monkey all day long? Even I turn red for you.¡±

    Zi You looked at her g father¡¯s depressed appearance and hated that she couldn¡¯t go over and punch him. She took a deep breath to suppress her evil thoughts. Then she pretended to look distressed at him and said, ¡°Father, you have to judge who is good to you and who is not. Don¡¯t just listen to someone¡¯s nice-sounding words.

    ¡°Whether mother gets pregnant or not, daughter doesn¡¯t need to do anything. Not to mention, if I really want to cause trouble, I wouldn¡¯t use Liu Yanhong. Whether it is loyalty or appearance, Shiyun and Haiyun are above her. Since Liu Yanhong is your person now, daughter will gift her to you. Take it as daughter¡¯s New Year¡¯s gift to you.¡±

    This gift is very special. I believe that you will firmly remember this matter.

    Indeed, Mu YingRui¡¯s face turned red. His swollen face burned bright again.

    He had once teased Shiyun before. He thought this matter was hidden very well. Now, it seemed like his daughter actually knew about it.

    Zi You smiled mockingly. Then she went to the main hall. She saw Nee Liu sitting and looking at the servants below her. She was just drinking tea and didn¡¯t say anything. Zi You knew that Nee Liu was showing off her power. She was also waiting for some people who can¡¯t help it to jump out and make trouble.

    So, Zi You went over and curtsied. Then she sat down next to Nee Liu. She looked towards the first household¡¯s servants. She didn¡¯t see Wang Yiping¡¯s confidant and nanny, Wei mama and first-rank maidservant Liulu. She immediately whispered into Nee Liu¡¯s ear.

    Nee Liu¡¯s eyes sunk. She turned around to Sun mama and said some words.

    Sun mama went to Yiping Ju and curtsied to Wang Yiping.

    Sun mama was not longwinded and went straight to the point. ¡°First Furen, Second Furen called all the servants over. Almost all of the servants in the fu are there. Even Lao TaiYe¡¯s personal attendants went. But Wei mama and Liulu guniang are missing. Second Furen wanted Laonu toe over to urge Wei mama and Liulu guniang over for Second Furen¡¯s instructions.¡±

    Wang Yiping was shrinking in her tortoise¡¯s shell. She didn¡¯t want to poke her head out. But Zi You did not let her get away with it and gave her a poke.

    However, Wang Yiping was really smart this time. She actually did not fall into the trap. Sun mama thought that she would get angry, but who knew that she would gently smile? Wang Yiping turned to Wei mama and Liulu and said, ¡°Go over and hear what Second Furen has to say. When youe back, tell me, so I can be well informed too.¡±

    Although her words were sarcastic, Sun mama could not pick out any faults. She curtsied and walked outside.

    In the hall, Wei mama and Liulu curtsied to Nee Liu. Nee Liu coldly smiled. ¡°The people from sister-inw¡¯s courtyard really have prestige. The whole fu¡¯s servants have to wait for you two.¡±

    Afterwards, she put the teacup onto the table heavily. She looked majestically, but not angrily at everyone. ¡°This furen told you repeatedly that you cannot inquire about your masters. It seems that you did not listen to this furen¡¯s instructions. Tell me. Who had you gather in front of First Furen¡¯s courtyard today and listen in on the masters? All the stewardse over to answer.¡±

    The stewards in the General¡¯s Manor stepped forwards. Zi You took a look. There were more than a dozen. The first one to speak was Steward Jiang, who managed the whole fu¡¯s daily operations.

    ¡°First Furen¡¯s Wei mama came over and told me that First Laoye wanted all the servants to go to Yiping Ju to reward money to the servants. In the end, we servants went there and did not get any reward. Instead, we saw First Laoye unconscious and carried out from the study.¡±

    The steward responsible for purchasing ingredients for the kitchen stepped out and agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. We didn¡¯t go over at first because we were busy. But First Laoye¡¯s Steward Yang came over to urge us, so we had no choice but to go over.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    The stewards¡¯ answers were basically all the same. They all confirmed that First Laoye¡¯s Steward Yang and First Furen¡¯s Wei mama and Liulu called them over to Yiping Ju.

    Nee Liu then looked at Wei mama and Liulu. Then she shouted to Uncle Jiang. ¡°Bring First Laoye¡¯s Steward Yang over.¡±

    Yang Qingjun was ¡°invited¡± over. Nee Liu pretended that she didn¡¯t understand and asked, ¡°Steward Yang, when did First Laoye had you call the servants over to Yiping Ju to reward the servants with money?¡±

    Yang Qingjun deliberately pondered. He shook his robes and replied haughtily, ¡°No matter how First Laoye had me call the servants over, Second Furen has no right to ask, right? Don¡¯t forget. First Laoye and Second Laoye are Lao TaiYe¡¯s sons. They are the real masters of the General¡¯s Manor. Can it be that they need Second Furen¡¯s approval if they want to do something?¡±

    Yang Qingjun had decided that Nee Liu wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to him. So he looked at Nee Liu without fear and showed a contemptuous smile.

    Nee Liu was so angry that her liver hurt, but she could not refute his words. That was because he was right. Mu YingRui was Old General Mu¡¯s son and her elder brother-inw. He didn¡¯t need her consent to do anything.

    Zi You secretly sneered when she saw how arrogant Yang Qingjun was. She secretly thought that Wang Yiping was really powerful. She only needed one night to use her body to bribe Yang Qingjun.

    Yes. No one, besides Zi You, knew that when Mu YingRui and Liu Yanhong were in the studyst night, Wang Yiping had also snuck to the study.

    Wang Yiping saw Yang Qingjun sprawled on the study window, eavesdropping and peeking. She immediately had a thought and walked over to him. She faintly sighed. ¡°Ai......¡±

    Yang Qingjun was startled. He saw that it was First Furen. He was embarrassed and anxiously tried to exin. Wang Yiping quickly reached a jade-like hand out and covered his mouth.

    Because Yang Qingjun was eavesdropping and peeking on the scene in the study, he was burning. With a fragrant and soft small female¡¯s hand was over his mouth, his blood pumped faster.

    Wang Yiping had on a white fox fur cloak with red embroidered peonies. An enchanting and charming sad small face wrapped in a snow hood. Her moving appearance made his heart jump. He turned numb immediately. He reached out and held Wang Yiping¡¯s hand, stunned silly.

    Wang Yiping looked bashfully and angrily at him. Then she turned to look at the little room next to the study.

    As a normal and strong male, Yang Qingjun, who had followed Mu YingRui to lots of red-light district ces and could only see, but not act, immediately understood what she meant.

    He excitedly opened the door to the room piled with Mu YingRui¡¯s old paintings and calligraphy. Then he pulled Wang Yiping inside and into his arms. While biting her lips non-stop, he murmured, ¡°Furen...... Furen......¡±

    Wang Yiping was originally ascivious woman. In the dim light, although Yang Qingjun¡¯s square face wasn¡¯t as handsome or elegant as Mu YingRui¡¯s, he was tall and strong and masculine. He exuded masculinity. He was also a martial artist. She didn¡¯t have to think, but knew that he must be better in that area than Mu YingRui, her worthless fifth brother, and the over-fifty years old Imperial Doctor Chen.

    Her heart surged. She moaned and immediately copsed into Yang Qingjun¡¯s arms and allowed the man to move as he wished......

    Even if you beat Mu YingRui to death, he would never think that his precious wife and most trusted confidant betrayed him in the room next to his study. They put on a bright green cuckolded hat on him. This New Year¡¯s gift was big and surprising.

    Yang Qingjun already liked Wang Yiping. Now that he had sampled her, how could he not listen to everything that she said?

    So, when Wang Yiping cried sorrowfully and helplessly in his arms afterwards, Yang Qingjun immediately hated that he couldn¡¯t stand up for her.

    Wang Yiping said, ¡°If I knew it was like this, I would have married you instead. Do you know? Laoye is not only fickle, but he is useless. He turns soft after two or three times. My wish to have a child won¡¯t be fulfilled.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me a child? If it¡¯s a son, I will think of a way to give him the whole General¡¯s Manor. You have to help me. I heard that the Emperor rewarded the General¡¯s Manor would several thousands of acres of farnd and countless shops. They are all in second household¡¯s Nee Liu¡¯s hands. I am not willing. Why am I the eldest son¡¯s wife, but have to suffer such grievances?¡±

    The next day, Wang Yiping told him, ¡°Bring all the servants to Yiping Ju. This time, I want Nee Liu obediently hand over the management power.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything and went to do Wang Yiping¡¯s bidding.

    Zi You looked at this guard that grandfather had sent to protect Mu YingRui. It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t angry. He actually could not withstand temptation.

    No wonder when she sent letters to the General¡¯s Manor about how she was bullied by Zhao HongXiang and Yu Lanxuan in her previous life, they were like stones in the ocean. So it was like this. He was already on Wang Yiping¡¯s side. She even foolishly thought he must be trustworthy since he was someone sent by her grandfather to her father.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes darkened at the thought of her previous life. She gritted her teeth and snapped, ¡°You¡¯re lying. Father was exining the misunderstanding to grandfather in the study. He didn¡¯t ask you to gather the servants to reward them. You actually impersonated father to inme the brotherly rtionship between father and uncle. Who gave you such courage?¡±

 Chapter 151 Flogging Wicked Servants, Zi You Establishes Her Prestige [2]

    <h4>Chapter 151 Flogging Wicked Servants, Zi You Establishes Her Prestige [2]</h4>

    Zi You continued, ¡°If you¡¯re not taught a lesson today, you will treat this General¡¯s Manor as a ce that you can do what you want. Someone, drag him out and beat him sixty times with the military rod for this Xiaojie!¡±

    ¡°You dare? I¡¯m your father¡¯s confidant and guard! You have no right to touch me!¡±

    Yang Qingjun never thought that Zi You would punish him in front all the servants. He anxiously and angrily shouted.

    Zi You sneered disdainfully. Her body exuded an awe-inspiring prestige. Ayer of ice covered her jade-like white face and emitted endless chill.

    It was still her unique and soft voice. It contained a tone like a peach blossoms in March on snow-capped ice mountains. Ice and fire blended into sonorous words. She enunciated like jade hitting ice and echoed in the main hall. ¡°You are just one of my father¡¯s dogs. I am his daughter. I want to see if father will discipline me for a dog like you. Drag him out!¡±

    Zi You was furious. The sun on her clothing seemed to be a fiery red me, immersing her body in a tremendous atmosphere. Her eyes were dark like an endlessly dark night. The smile on her beautiful face was like a blooming flower.

    She withdrew a silver soft sword from her waist. The silver swordlight shone brightly in the hall, carving a cruel light in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    She pointed to Yang Qingjun, Wei mama, and Liulu and shouted, ¡°Today, I will discipline you arrogant and insubordinate ves for my parents. My parents are kind and allowed you to make trouble. But I will not let anything stain the General¡¯s Manor. Bring these three insubordinate servants who inquired into their masters¡¯ business and beat them each with the military rod sixty times and the punishment board forty times! I will take the me if my parents pass me.¡±

    The girl¡¯s face was shrouded by the sword¡¯s light, like a ghost. Her normal weakness could not be seen anymore.

    The entire hall of servants, including Nee Liu, all looked at her and were stunned motionless.

    At this moment, everyone seemed to have seen the military prestige that a soldier like Old General Mu had. At this moment, no one dared to despise this underage twelve-year-old little girl.

    When they saw Zi You¡¯s bright sword in her hands, Yang Qingjun, Wei mama, and Liulu were feeling regretful. They never thought that a peony-like delicate flower would have iron bones and a cold weapon her white jade-like hand.

    Yang Qingjun wanted to say appeasing words, but it was toote. Zi You waved her hand and two of the four guards whom Old General Mu had sent had pounced on him like a tiger and dragged him out.

    Wei mama and Liulu were dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t think that Zi You would actually dare to take action against them. When they reacted, they were dragged out by some strong mamas.

    Before they had time to cry out for help, they were already pressed down on stools. Solid boards had smacked down.

    The three people cried out together. Their piercing voices sounded out. A sharp sneer appeared on Zi You¡¯s face. ¡°Gag them for this Xiaojie.¡±

    Shezily went to sit down on a chair. She looked at the servants in the main hall. She slowly said, ¡°You know what a qualified servant should do and should not do, right? What is the most important thing? Tell me.¡±

    The servants looked at the underage girl sitting down. An unknowing fear had subconsciously formed. They rushed to answer, ¡°Obedience.¡±

    ¡°Diligence, can¡¯t bezy.¡±

    ¡°.......¡±

    ¡°Wrong!¡± Zi You¡¯s deep purple eyes nced over everyone like a de. She coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s loyalty. It¡¯s loyalty to your masters. Don¡¯t forget who your master is and who is the real master in this General¡¯s Manor. Yes, it is my grandfather, Old General Mu.¡±

    ¡°Think about your futures if he isn¡¯t here. The saying goes, ¡®When the nest is upset, no egg is left intact.¡¯ [When one falls in disgrace, the whole family is doomed.] If something happens to the General¡¯s Manor, what will happen to you all? Maybe you weren¡¯t clear on what you should do before. But now, from this moment on, I want you all to remember: If the General¡¯s Manor lives, then you live. Otherwise, only destruction will be waiting for you!

    ¡°It¡¯s good today that you dared to expose the schemes of those with ulterior motives. Grandfather wants to reward you each with two silvers. Is there anyone who did not go to Yiping Ju? If there is, the reward is doubled. The ending will be the same as the three people outside for whoever dares to hold other intentions and betray their master!¡±

    When Zi You finished speaking, the soft sword in her hands gently waved. The servants didn¡¯t see what happened, but two candles on the table were cut down the middle. They split open and fell onto the table.

    Zi You was as gentle as water, but everyone heard the coldness in her voice that once again resounded in the main hall. ¡°My Yinxiao Sword hasn¡¯t seen blood yet. I don¡¯t want to use your blood to bless the sword.¡±

    Wang Yiping hurried over to the main hall and saw this scene. The hall¡¯s servants stared at thezy Zi You sitting on a chair like they were staring at a god. Her nanny, first-rank maidservant, and her new lover, were tied to stools and stuffed with a rag in their mouths. They were beaten until their flesh wascerated and blood was flying.

    Wei mama and Liulu had fainted. Yang Qingjun was moaning. He was almost unable to hang on.

    Wang Yiping rushed into the main hall and was so angry that she trembled. She looked at Zi You and Nee Liu as if they were criminals who had killed her mother. She scolded, ¡°You...... How dare you hit my people? You¡¯re going overboard!¡±

    You finally can¡¯t help it and stuck your head out.

    ¡°Daughter pays respects to mother.¡± Zi You stood up and walked over to curtsy to her. She pretended tofort her as she walked Wang Yiping outside. She said loudly, ¡°Mother, I know that you are kind and can¡¯t bear to punish the servants. But take a look at how spoiled they¡¯ve be. They can impersonate you to pass fake news this time. I don¡¯t know what they will do next time. We can¡¯t be lenient anymore. You can¡¯t bear to punish them, so I will punish them on your behalf. If they want to hate someone, they can hate me......¡±

    Wang Yiping tried desperately to break free, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not break free of Zi You¡¯s grasp. Thus, she was literally dragged out of the main hall.

    The two people left, but a sweet and clear voice still sounded in the main hall. ¡°Mother, daughter is doing this for you. Think about it. Although your servants did this, but how will other people think? They will think that you instigated them. They¡¯ll say that you¡¯re vicious and malicious. To grab the management power and provoke the rtionship between me and my father, you would do whatever it takes. If this is spread out, it won¡¯t do you any good.

    ¡°Do you really want to have a divorce? Do you really want father to expel you from the family? How can daughter bear to watch such a thing happen? Although you and father have many misunderstandings towards daughter, but daughter cannot watch our first household be expelled from the General¡¯s Manor!

    ¡°If that happens, can you and father still live like humans? If you¡¯re angry, you can be angry at daughter. Daughter will let you scold and beat her. But please don¡¯t make a scene during the holidays. Grandfather can¡¯t bear it......¡±

    Zi You¡¯s voice was getting smaller, but Wang Yiping¡¯s vicious cursing sounded clearly into the ears of everyone in the main hall. ¡°You sinister little wench! You won¡¯t die a good death! You should be like your mother and die in the eighteen levels of Hell!¡±

    Everyone in the main hall was stunned! They first looked at Nee Liu in horror. Then they quickly bent their heads.

    Almost everyone understood one thing: Xiaojie¡¯s stepmother was vicious. All the love that she had shown Xiaojie before was fake. No wonder the matter of Xiaojie pretending to be a ghost and hitting her birth father happened today. Such a matter must have happened for a reason. Perhaps Xiaojie wasn¡¯t pretending. Perhaps the deceased furen could not stand seeing the stepmother and father bullying the orphaned girl and really taught First Laoye a lesson.

    There was another possibility. That was, First Laoye and First Furen, in order to frame Xiaojie, self-directed and acted in a y to show how Xiaojie was disobedient and unfilial.

    No wonder Lao TaiYe is so angry. If it was me, I would be furious too. I would drive this cruel and cold-blooded son and daughter-inw out of the house.

    Wang Yiping did not know that matters had hugely reversed. The y of Mu Zi You being unfilial and disobedient and hitting her own father that she had worked so hard on had turned into the stepmother unable to tolerate the deceased wife¡¯s daughter. Together with her husband, she had framed the bullied first wife¡¯s daughter.

    She saw that no one was around and knew that all the servants were in the main hall. She could not suppress her resentment anymore. She lowered her voice to a level that only Zi You could hear and cursed her maliciously.

    She didn¡¯t know that Zi You was waiting for just this opportunity. As long as her words and deeds were improper, then her true face would be exposed in broad daylight.

    Zi You¡¯s spiritual power could amplify Wang Yiping¡¯s voice and spread it far away.

    Zi You saw that she had revealed her true face and immediately pretended to be aggrieved. She cried sadly, ¡°Daughter can endure it no matter how you scold daughter, mother. As distance tests a horse¡¯s strength, time reveals a person¡¯s heart. You will know that daughter did this for you and father. Do you want grandfather to know that you told your servants to do this? Do you really want a divorce? What did daughter do to you that makes you hate daughter this much?¡±

 Chapter 152 Saving Someone VS Killing Someone

    <h4>Chapter 152 Saving Someone VS Killing Someone</h4>

    Wang Yiping was not a fool. When Zi You asked her that, she suddenly came to. She immediately looked around vigntly. She saw that there was no one around and strongly suppressed the anger in her heart.

    She whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend anymore. I know that you hate me. You hate me for taking your father away and taking your mother¡¯s ce. After I married, you have been against me in everything. To please you, when you were sick and dying, I kowtowed every step to the temple for spiritual water for you. But how did you treat me? You wicked yatou, I hate you!¡±

    ¡°Daughter clearly knows that mother treats daughter well. Daughter doesn¡¯t dare to forget that even for a moment. But daughter didn¡¯t do anything wrong to you......¡±

    The two¡¯s conversation continued spreading to the ears of the servants in the main hall.

    Thus, everyone had a new understanding of Xiaojie¡¯s generosity and kindness and First Furen¡¯s pettiness and narrow-mindedness.

    This chaotic December 29th soon passed. When Mu YingRui came to, he didn¡¯t examine his own faults, but pushed all the me onto Wang Yiping and Liu Yanhong.

    In the afternoon, Zi You dressed Liu Yanhong properly and sent her to Yiping Ju. She said to her before she left, ¡°I won¡¯t me you for betraying me for your own interests. But you are on your own now. I think that not everyone will be as kind as me.¡±

    Liu Yanhong didn¡¯t think that Zi You not only did not me her, but sent her to First Laoye.

    She thought that since she had betrayed him too, she wouldn¡¯t have a good time with First Laoye either.

    But she thought of their entanglementst night and had a bit of hope.

    Like this, she was nervously sent over to Mu YingRui. Who knew that it was fine if Mu YingRui didn¡¯t see her? But once he saw her, he thought of the scandal of how he was almost kicked out the house by his father. He angrily rushed over to kick her. ¡°Slut! It¡¯s all your fault. If not for you, Ye won¡¯t be embarrassed or disgraced. Someone, lock this cheap wench up in the woodshed. No one is allowed to see her.¡±

    Two of Liu Yanhong¡¯s ribs had been broken by Old General Mu¡¯s kick. They were treated by Zi You, but now they were once again kicked by Mu YingRui.

    She screamed in pain. Before she had time to exin, she was dragged to the woodshed by three of Mu YingRui¡¯s tongfang maidservants and beaten up.

    The more Mu YingRui thought, the angrier he was. He then went to Yiping Ju. He saw Wang Yiping leaning against a chaise lounge and staring at the ceiling. He angrily said, ¡°This is all your bad idea. You made Ye get beaten by his father and was humiliated in front of the servants. Ye is unlucky to the extreme to marry a jinx like you.¡±

    Wang Yiping was angry too. She was scolded by him like that and was even angrier! She sat up and red at Mu YingRui. She was about to refute, but she thought of her current difficult situation, and immediately put on a weak, helpless, and aggrieved expression. She looked sadly at Mu YingRui, but had already scolded him many times in her heart. But her words temporarily suppressed Mu YingRui¡¯s anger that he could not vent.

    ¡°Laoye, this is not the time for us toin and me each other. You should think about how to pass this ordeal! Lao TaiYe let you off now because it¡¯s about to be the holidays. That¡¯s why Bieqie wanted you tomunicate well with Xiaojie today. Even if she gets angry, she won¡¯t be merciless, because it is the holidays.

    ¡°But Bieqie didn¡¯t think that things would be beyond our expectations. She is so tyrannical and she hates us, especially you, her father, to the extreme. She will certainly instigate Lao TaiYe to take care of you after the holidays. You should think of a way to appease her and end this conflict now!

    ¡°Look at the way she beat Wei mama, Liulu, and Steward Yang today. That is a clear provocation and warning. Laoye, you must endure! Who let it be that Lao TaiYe does whatever she says?¡±

    Sure enough, after hearing that, Mu YingRui was no longer angry at Wang Yiping. He pondered. The resentment he had towards Zi You intensified with Wang Yiping fanning the mes. His heart almost hurt.

    That malicious darned yatou! Even if you hit a dog, you have to look at its master. Now that you beat your father¡¯s subordinates, your father can¡¯t save face. How can I let it go? If I don¡¯t vent this anger, then I¡¯m a father in vain!

    Thinking to here, he no longer cursed at Wang Yiping. He walked over to her, sat down, and asked, ¡°So what should we do now?¡±

    Wang Yiping looked at Yenhong. Yenhong hurriedly curtsied, left, and shut the door.

    Wang Yiping then said in a low voice, ¡°Now, we have to dispel the prejudice that Lao TaiYe has against you. Take advantage of the holidays and pay respects to Lao TaiYe every day! Then think of a way for your daughter to go to Lao TaiYe and help speak up for you.¡±

    Mu YingRui nodded and asked, ¡°What n do you have to make her speak up for me?¡±

    Wang Yiping shook her head and sighed a long intive sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just a woman. What good n can I have? But if Xiaojie can be in trouble over the holidays, I think that no matter who it is, no one will have time to pay attention to you, Laoye!¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes first shone bright and then dimmed. After a while, he looked like he was in conflict. In the end, his eyes turned sharp. Instantly, his handsome and elegant face turned sinister and ferocious due to his hostility.

    The sky was dark and gloomy at night. The howling north wind madeyers of snow fall.

    In the little woodshed that imprisoned Liu Yanhong, Liu Yanhong had long been shivering due to the cold. She wrapped her arms around her body in desperation and walked back and forth.

    Just then, the door to the woodshed opened. A person with a hood on carried a food box inside.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Liu Yanhong screamed. Her trembling body shivered even more. She had to be afraid. First Laoye had ordered that no one could visit her. She couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would risk being punished by First Laoye toe on a cold, snowy night to visit her. She admitted that she didn¡¯t have good rtions with other people.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Yanhong.¡± The person replied in a low voice. She put the food box on the ground. ¡°Yanhong, eat some hot noodle soup to drive away the cold. I put ginger in it.¡±

    ¡°Yenhong?¡± Liu Yanhong was surprised. Although Yenhong was Wang Yiping¡¯s servant and familiar with her, their rtionship wasn¡¯t good to the point that she would take such risks for her.

    Being next to Nee Bai, what harmful methods and what cunning people had Liu Yanhong not seen before? Her heart was vignt. She whispered, ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡±

    ¡°Ai......¡± Yenhong sighed a long sigh. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling sad for a person simr to me. As maidservants, our fates are the same. Your situation today can be my situation tomorrow. I came here because we¡¯re on the same boat.¡±

    She opened the food box and transferred the hot noodle soup to a bowl. She handed the bowl to Liu Yanhong. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot!¡±

    Liu Yanhong was already very cold. Her doubts were dispelled with Yenhong¡¯s words. She picked up the hot noodle soup and gobbled it down. She did not notice Yenhong¡¯s sinister smile in the dim light.

    After Liu Yanhong finished the hot noodle soup, Yenhong packed up the food box. She stood up and walked away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will bring more food for you tomorrow.¡± But you won¡¯t be alive to eat it.

    Liu Yanhong almost couldn¡¯t see dawn the next day. After Yenhong left, thirty minutester, she had abdominal pain. She was in a lot of pain.

    After a while and after bleeding from her seven orifices, Liu Yanhong felt that she was dying. Just then, two people came in.

    One of the people stuffed a pill into her mouth. Another waved his hand and another person walked inside. He picked Liu Yanhong up and the three went to Hundred Herb Garden.

    The three people were Zi You, Shangguan LingRan, and his fifteenth martial nephew, Yi Chen.

    Shangguan LingRan looked coldly at Liu Yanhong, who was lying there like a dead pig. He ruthlessly said, ¡°You saved her, but you should have always have her remember the consequences of betraying you.¡±

    Zi You left Liu Yanhong alive for some purpose. Otherwise, he would have sent her to meet the King of Hell already.

    Daring to betray You¡¯er. Really seeking death!

    Zi You looked at him and nodded. ¡°I know. She knows too many of Wang Yiping¡¯s secrets. I have to keep her alive. But I cannot leave her in the house. Do you have a ce for her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Leave it to me.¡± Shangguan LingRan said without hesitation. ¡°There is a ce that is the most suited for her. I guarantee that she will never forget it in her lifetime after she¡¯s been there.¡±

    The ce that Shangguan LingRan was talking about was a brothel of course. But Liu Yanhong was not qualified to be a prostitute. With her appearance, she could only be live teaching material for young prostitutes.

    The brothel that Shangguan LingRan ran was actually an intelligence department. Several geishas were Xuanyuan Sect¡¯s female disciples, like Xianglu and Mudan. But they were geishas who sold their talents and not their bodies like prostitutes. Some of the prostitutes were trained by his grandfather, the prime minister, to mix in there.

    The brothel owner in public was Jun Muyang, but the real boss was the prime minister. That¡¯s why Shangguan LingRan spent so much time there. In fact, this was his headquarters in the capital.

    Shangguan LingRan saw Zi You feed Liu Yanhong medicine, perform acupuncture on her, and detoxify to save her from the hands of death.

    She said to him, ¡°Her poison is cured. I also used spiritual power to repair her damaged organs. But she will be unconscious for three or four days. She will slowly recover if you feed her medicine ording to my prescription. She will be the same as before after recuperating for two months. I don¡¯t care where you take her, but you cannot torture her to death.¡±

    Zi You clearly saw the bloodthirstiness in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes and wasn¡¯t reassured.

 Chapter 153 Shizi Demands Interest

    <h4>Chapter 153 Shizi Demands Interest</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan coldlymanded his martial nephew Yi Chen, ¡°Take her to Chuyao Guan and Yueniang.¡±

    Zi You was shocked. She asked in disbelief, ¡°You opened Chuyao Guan?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan smiled a smile that could confuse all living beings. His body shed and he sprawled onto Zi You¡¯s chaise lounge. ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s. But I¡¯m in charge of it now.¡±

    ¡°Tch!¡± Zi You scoffed. ¡°This is really a person being in a favorable position gets the advantages first. A lecherous wolf fell into a flock of sheep.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Shangguan LingRan jumped up. He ran over to Zi You¡¯s side and constantly sniffed. He smiled evilly. ¡°Howe I smell something sour? You¡¯er, are you eating vinegar [jealous]?¡±

    ¡°Eat your head!¡± Zi You was a bit humiliated and angry. She didn¡¯t know why her heart felt stifled when she thought of Shangguan LingRan¡¯s horrible reputation.

    At this time, her face was facing Shangguan LingRan. Her red lips were slightly pouting, showing off its pink color and luscious beauty. She looked misty and seductive under the light.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her angry, but vivid and cute expression. She was apletely different person than her usual indifferent self.

    He couldn¡¯t help but tease. ¡°Look at you. If you¡¯re jealous, then you¡¯re jealous. Being jealous because of your husband isn¡¯t glorious, but I like it......¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense!¡± Why was this man so shameless? His words could really anger people to death!

    Zi You angrily reached out to attack Shangguan LingRan.

    But her lightning-fast speed wasn¡¯t different from slow motion in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes.

    Her jade-like hand was easily caught by Shangguan LingRan before she even touched him.

    This grasp was soft and tender, like holding a high-quality ganoderma.

    Shangguan LingRan stayed in the brothel Chuyao Guan all day. He had seen countless soft skin. Most hands of beauties were beautiful. But he discovered that no matter how beautiful the hand, there would be some defects more or less. The skin color was dark, the fingernails were toorge, some fingers were slightly thicker, some pores were slightlyrger......

    But the little hands in front of him now were absolutely perfect with no defects, like a pair of carefully carved suet jade. There were no abnormal color and very soft. They weren¡¯t too fat or thin. The fingers were neither too long nor too short. Even the pickiest of people could not pick out the slightest fault.

    Those fingernails were round and smooth and revealed a touch of pink. They were more transparent and clear than those small and crisp shells and small flower petals.

    He didn¡¯t even think about it. He stuck out his tongue and gently licked Zi You¡¯s palm.

    A wet and warm tongue swept across the sensitive palm. Zi You shivered and almost screamed. When the scream was about to leave her mouth, she forcefully swallowed it down.

    It was like she had received an electric shock. She took her hand back. She felt a surge of heat begin to spread from her palm down her body and to her limbs and heart. Even her face had a red glow.

    Shangguan LingRan seemed to think that this lick wasn¡¯t enough. He quickly grabbed her hand and wanted to do it again. Zi You was angry like burning mes. She forcefully lowered her voice and said, ¡°Shangguan LingRan, you lecher! Are you done?!¡±

    ¡°Not done! I will never be done!¡± Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes narrowed, like a hoodlum and firmly refuted.

    Zi You was instantly speechless. The two people¡¯s distance was very close. They could even feel the warmth from their breaths when they spoke. Even words spoke through gritted teeth contained a touch of *** vor.

    She had never experienced something like this, whether it was in her previous life or this life. She had never done such a thing like this with that Zhao HongXiang either.

    Zi You¡¯s face burned up. Even her skin hurt. She simply turned around and didn¡¯t argue with this hoodlum Shizi. She gritted her teeth as she said, ¡°Shizi, it¡¯ste now. I have a lot of things to deal with tomorrow. I need to sleep now.¡±

    Zi You usually looked cool and indifferent. She had few mood fluctuations. Now that he saw her face turning red and her panicked eyes, Shangguan LingRan was inexplicably happy.

    Her appearance before was really alienating. It made him feel that they were very far apart. Her appearance now was what he wanted to see.

    He secretly smiled. It seemed that he was a bit evil. He rather liked Zi You¡¯s panicked expression. She was much cuter this way.

    He grinned and stepped back. His smile waszy and devilishly charming. His long eyshes blinked. ¡°Today¡¯s interest will be collected up to here. Let¡¯s talk about serious business now.¡±

    If he wasn¡¯t afraid that he would anger Zi You too much, he would be reluctant to leave that intimate feeling.

    Her body exuded a girl¡¯s unique and elegant scent. It really made him reluctant to leave her. Other females used powder to smell good, but Zi You always exuded an elegant floral scent. Even in this wintertime, she would make you feel like you were standing in a garden in the morning and smelling the morning dew-drenched flowers that exuded a pure and clean scent. Such a smell was simply a temptation.

    Zi You suddenly wanted to p that charming face of his. Everything this Shizi did was collecting interest for him helping her?

    He didn¡¯t help her for free. That was just an appetizer before dinner.

    But he finally took a step back. Even her breath seemed to be stifled earlier. ¡°What business?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s how to make your father and stepmother think that your mother really came to settle ounts with them. Since Wang Yiping said that there are no ghosts in broad daylight, then there will be one at night.¡± Shangguan LingRan smiled devilishly again.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good, right?¡± Zi You was tempted, but still had concerns. ¡°They know that I know martial arts. They will say that I did it.¡±

    ¡°I have a n.¡± Shangguan LingRan smiled evilly. ¡°I will make arrangements. Don¡¯t worry. Go find grandfather and y chess with him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sote!¡± Zi You looked at the hourss. It was already after 9 p.m.

    ¡°It¡¯s notte.¡± Shangguan LingRan was used to be overbearing and didn¡¯t let Zi You object. He went over to the shelf full of medicinal bottles. He asked, ¡°Do you still have the knockout drug that I used at Taizi¡¯s? Give me some more. Oh, I wanted to ask. Do you look like your mother? Do you have a portrait of her? Let me take a look. Then bring me a set of her clothes.¡±

    Zi You walked over and pulled out a drawer. She took out a green porcin bottle and handed it to him. Then she went to a secretpartment. She lifted the board and took out a box. She took out a portrait and slowly unrolled it.

    Shangguan LingRan took a look. A beautiful woman in a purple sari was standing on a mountaintop. Her noble temperament, cold eyes, elegant posture, and charming style, along with elegant makeup made her really as beautiful as Chang¡¯e, thedy in the moon.

    She looked 60% or 70% simr to Zi You. That morous noble, elegant, and refined temperament, especially, was very simr.

    The difference was the color of their skin and eyes. The woman in the portrait had honey-colored skin and crystal-clear amethyst eyes.

    Zi You¡¯s skin color was white and tender, like ganoderma and white jade. Her eyes were a deep color. Only if you paid attention would you notice that they were deep purple.

    When she used her spiritual power, other than Old General Mu, no one else had seen her eyes that were so simr to her mother¡¯s.

    That sari was the same as the one that the person in the portrait was wearing. The purple satin was embroidered with snowkes in silver thread. It was adorned with sparkling stones that looked like diamonds. It was really beautiful!

    ¡°Her figure is like frightened wild geese flying and dragons gently swimming. Her radiance is like a chrysanthemum under the autumn sun. Her posture is like a lone tree in the spring breeze. She is a light cloud floating under the moon and returning to the snow. Looking from afar, you can see the sun rising. Closely observing, you can see waves.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at the portrait and then looked at the little woman in front of him. These lines were from ¡°Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River,¡± which he involuntarily recited.

    Zi You thought that he was praising her mother¡¯s appearance. So for the first time ever, she did not scold him. She said in concern, ¡°He went to Fourth Yiniang¡¯s courtyard tonight. That woman¡¯s courtyard is on the south side. Be careful. There might be another guard around him.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Shangguan LingRan saw that the little yatou was concerned about him and was very happy.

    He reached out and scraped Zi You¡¯s nose. He said dotingly, ¡°Get some sleep. Wait for the show tomorrow morning. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    Zi You saw his ws reaching over and quickly took a step back, but he was still sessful in the end.

    She angrily red at him with puffed-out cheeks. Her angry expression made Shangguan LingRanugh loudly. Then he quickly disappeared.

    After Shangguan LingRan left, Zi You went to grandfather¡¯s Songtao Courtyard.

    Shangguan LingRan was right. Grandfather indeed had not gone to sleep yet. The things that had happened during the day were reying in his mind over and over again. To say that his heart didn¡¯t hurt was a lie.

    After all, Mu YingRui was his first child. The hopes that he had for him back then were much more than his second son YingYi.

    But now he turned out like this. On one hand, Old General Mu didn¡¯t feel good. On the other hand, he felt guilty and med himself.

    ¡°It is the father¡¯s responsibility to discipline his son.¡± His son was like this, so he had to bear a lot of responsibility. If he really kicked him out of the house and removed him from the genealogy records, his son¡¯s career would be ruined. Not only that, but after he passed away, how would he exin to his parents and wife in the underworld?

    But look at YingRui now. If Old General Mu continued enabling him, he would treat Zi You even more aggressively. How could Old General Mu face his granddaughter and his loyal daughter-inw Dier?

 Chapter 154 A Ghost Came to Shave His Beard and Cut off Her Hair

    <h4>Chapter 154 A Ghost Came to Shave His Beard and Cut off Her Hair</h4>

    It was flesh on his palm, but it was flesh on the back of his hand too. No matter which flesh is cut out, he would be in piercing pain.

    Zi You¡¯s position in Old General Mu¡¯s heart was not low. Everyone in the fu knew this. The people personally attending to Old General Mu understood this even more.

    So when they saw Zi Youing over, Old General Mu¡¯s Huan Wanshu curtsied to her. She didn¡¯t ask anything and let her in.

    Zi You walked inside and saw grandfather staring at the portrait of her grandmother on the wall in a daze.

    Then she finally understood Shangguan LingRan¡¯s true meaning. She couldn¡¯t help but p her head. She med herself for being thoughtless.

    After dinner, sheforted grandfather a bit. She saw that he was in a good mood, so she thought that he was all right.

    Now that she thought about it, so many things had happened during the day. She and her father were as ipatible as water and fire. Of course grandfather would be sad.

    He didn¡¯t want her to know because he didn¡¯t want her to worry.

    Zi You walked over and wrapped her arms around her grandfather¡¯s waist. She hugged tightly against her grandfather¡¯s broad back.

    Old General Mu turned around and hid his sorrow. He asked lovingly, ¡°It¡¯s sote already. Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking of grandfather. I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Zi You cutely replied. ¡°Grandfather, y chess with me, okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sote, but you¡¯re not sleepy?¡± Old General Mu looked worriedly at his granddaughter.

    The things that had happened today had left a shadow even in his heart, let alone his granddaughter. She was so hated by her biological father. It would be strange if she felt good.

    Old General Mu thought of how his son treated Zi You and his heart couldn¡¯t help but pain. He felt morepassion and tenderness towards Zi You. He patted her head with love in his eyes.

    Zi You looked at him. In just a day, her grandfather looked older. The heavy guilt and remorse in her heart rose up again.

    She rushed into her grandfather¡¯s arms again and said remorsefully, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been disobedient to father. If he wants to beat or scold me, it¡¯s up to him. But I really didn¡¯t know what happened afterwards. Grandfather, do I really hate him? Hate him until I have a heart demon?¡±

    She was guilty that she could only lie to him. If her grandfather knew that about the things that she and Shangguan LingRan plotted, he would be even sadder and disappointed.

    It was better if grandfather didn¡¯t know about certain dirty things. She would do them herself. In her previous life, she was too kind and na?ve. Her life was very miserable. In this lifetime, as long as she could protect herself and her loved ones from harm, she was willing to do any dirty and low thing.

    If she was going to Hell, then she was going to Hell. For her to live well, she was willing to pay any price!

    Old General Mu naturally did not believe in ghosts. The key point was that Dier was not dead. So how could her ghost be here?

    However, he firmly did not believe that his granddaughter would be so unfilial as to hit her father. So the doubts in his heart and his granddaughter¡¯s worries at this moment were surprisingly simr.

    Mu YingRui being hit must be Zi You was too angry and regarded herself as Dier. Thus, she taught that scoundrel father a lesson.

    But she could not exin why the p print on his son¡¯s face was clearly bigger than his granddaughter¡¯s hand.

    Old General Mu was confused. He looked at Zi You and asked, ¡°Did you feel anyone else in the study? Don¡¯t me yourself. The p print on your father¡¯s face is much bigger than your hand. It absolutely cannot be done by you. Grandfather can tell this. Is there anyone who will protect you in secret?¡±

    Since Zi You had an ident in the mountains, he had sent two secret guards to protect her. But, the secret guards would not be so bold as to teach his son a lesson.

    Old General Mu thought of this and muttered to himself. ¡°Did your mother reallye back from India?¡±

    Zi You felt even guiltier. She had already controlled the minds of the two secret guards whom grandfather had sent. Other than her, they wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone else. She could not be med for doing this. She was not willing to let some secret matters be known by her grandfather and cause him to worry.

    Zi You was helpless. She could only continue acting. She rushed over to her grandfather and pretended to ask excitedly, ¡°Grandfather, are you serious? Is it true that mother came back?¡±

    Although she was acting, the yearning in her heart was true. The hope in her eyes was also not false.

    Old General Mu¡¯s heart pained. He hurriedlyforted her. ¡°You¡¯er, you¡¯re missing your mother, right? Whether your mother is back or not, she must certainly be thinking about you. Do you understand?¡±

    Zi You nodded. Her tears finally couldn¡¯t be suppressed and flowed out. It wa sthe festive season and the reunion festival, but even so, on which day did she not miss her mother?

    That night, they yed chess around the stove while thinking of their loved ones. They finally slept after midnight.

    Zi You did not go back to Youran Ju to sleep. She slept on the couch in front of her grandfather¡¯s bed.

    The snow stopped on the next day. The sun came out. Although the sun wasn¡¯t very bright, it still dispelled the coldness from the snow, making people feel a trace of warmth.

    Whether it was the masters or the servants, with the arrival of the New Year, their moods were better. Even the unpleasant things that had happened yesterday seemed to have passed. No one specifically paid attention to it.

    Everyone quickly became busy. The fu needed to be cleaned in and out. They also needed to post door gods, couplets, pictures, and door cages, and so on. After worshipping the ancestors in the afternoon, the servants needed to be rewarded silvers and new clothing.

    They had worked hard for a year. The reward of silver at this time was half a year¡¯s sry. Of course, the servants were very happy.

    ¡°Ah......¡± But early in the morning, a miserable scream sounded from Yiping Ju, which surprised everyone!

    Everyone wanted to go over to see, but when they thought of Xiaojie¡¯s warning yesterday, they immediately dispelled their gossipy hearts. They honestly lowered their heads and did their work. No one dared to go over and inquire.

    At this time in Yiping Ju, Wang Yiping looked at her head that was smoother than an egg and was scared into losing all the color on her face.

    She didn¡¯t feel anything at all. If Yenhong did note in the morning, saw her bald head, and loudly screamed, Wang Yiping wouldn¡¯t even know that not one hair remained on her head.

    A ghost cut off her hair! She remembered Mu YingRui¡¯s frightened expression when he regained consciousness yesterday. ¡°It¡¯s her, it¡¯s her. Dier is back. She hit me. I know that she hit me. She hates me because I didn¡¯t treat You¡¯er well.¡±

    Could it be that Dier¡¯s ghost really came back? Or was it Mu Zi You?

    It was possible. That darned yatou knew martial arts now. She pretended to be a ghost and hit her father. Now she cut off all her hair. It wasn¡¯t impossible.

    Little wench! I will not spare you.

    Wang Yiping thought of this and stood up with a ¡°swoosh.¡± Then she thought of Dier¡¯s ghost and suddenly fell back down. She couldn¡¯t help but panic. If it was really Dier¡¯s ghost at work, what should she do? She had repeatedly schemed and tried to kill Dier¡¯s daughter. It was possible that Dier resented her and came to seek revenge.

    What should I do now? A woman¡¯s hair is like her life. If people know that I¡¯m bald, then I don¡¯t need to live anymore.

    Wang Yiping touched her bare head and really wanted to cry, but had no tears. She didn¡¯t know what she should do.

    Just then, she heard the door open with a ¡°bang.¡± Then she heard Mu YingRui¡¯s angry shout. ¡°How can it be like this? How am I supposed to go out......¡±

    He had not finished speaking when he saw Wang Yiping¡¯s bald head. He eximed, ¡°You...... You...... How did this happen?¡±

    At this time, Wang Yiping also saw Mu YingRui¡¯s strange appearance. His elegant and refined beard waspletely gone. His bare chin was cleaner than a eunuch¡¯s.

    ¡°You...... Your beard......¡± Wang Yiping quickly covered her mouth. She didn¡¯t dare to make another sound again.

    That was because she had already seen the murderous hostility in Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes. He red at her and ruthlessly scolded, ¡°It¡¯s all you. It¡¯s all your fault. You poisonous woman. If it wasn¡¯t youing up with bad schemes again and again, why would Dier do this to me?¡±

    Indeed, he was a scoundrel before, but he had never targeted his daughter. Dier was indifferent and aloof, but she had never thought of targeting him. Otherwise, she didn¡¯t need to do anything except send Weishali to kill him. She must be extremely angry this time. That was why she hit him and shaved off his beard.

    A beard symbolized manhood. Without it, how could he leave the fu and see people? It was the Spring Festival! Every fu had banquets and he might have to attend the banquet in the Pce. Looking like this, let¡¯s not the mention the Emperor, he didn¡¯t even dare to step outside the General¡¯s Manor! He would be aughingstock!

    Wang Yiping didn¡¯t dare to speak. Her mind quickly turned. She could not let Mu YingRui think that this matter was done by Dier¡¯s ghost. Otherwise, she would be a sinner. He would hate her to death and would never help her deal with Mu Zi You.

    Let¡¯s not mention how it was not yet confirmed whether this was a real ghost or not. But even if it was, so what? Could it be that she was going to do nothing? No! Even if it was a ghost, she would still fight back.

    Thinking of this, Wang Yiping cried out, ¡°Laoye, do really you think that sister [Dier] did this? ording to Bieqie¡¯s knowledge, although sister was cold, she was very kind. She couldn¡¯t even bear to hurt some small animals. So how can she hit her husband and humiliate him?

    ¡°This is certainly done by Xiaojie. She has martial arts now and knows medicine. Laoye shouldn¡¯t me Bieqie now. You should ask Lao TaiYe to seek justice for you. If this matter is thoroughly investigated, I don¡¯t believe that no ws will be revealed.¡±

    It must be said that Wang Yiping really understood Mu YingRui. He had a soft ear and was easily persuaded.

    The reason that Mu YingRui angrily came to me her was because he had listened to Fourth Yiniang fanning the mes. ¡°Laoye, Bieqie...... Bieqie is really afraid that the previous furen came. Bieqie woke up and really saw a woman¡¯s figure standing at the foot of the bed. Bieqie saw that the woman was wearing the previous furen¡¯s clothing. She looked a lot like the previous furen. Bieqie wanted to shout out, but could not make a sound. Soon, Bieqie didn¡¯t know anything anymore.

    ¡°Furen really wants to kill Laoye! The previous furen left a sole child behind with much difficulty. How can she not treasure her?¡±

    Mu YingRui had not yet ascertained that it was Dier¡¯s ghost, but after being duped by Fourth Yiniang, he had lost his mind and rushed to Yiping Ju.

    Now, he was instigated by Wang Yiping like this. He didn¡¯t even think for two minutes before he rushed to Songtao Courtyard.

    It seemed that his father and Zi You just finished practicing martial arts. They had not changed out of their working-out clothing.

    The people turned around when they heard him rush in. They were both stunned when they saw his appearance. Zi You asked, very shocked, ¡°Father, your...... Your beard?¡±

    It was fine if she didn¡¯t mention the beard, but once she mentioned it, Mu YingRui looked at his daughter like he was looking at a lifelong enemy. He gnashed his teeth in fury and said, ¡°You¡¯re pretending again. Isn¡¯t this something that you did?¡±

    He didn¡¯t wait for Zi You to reply and said to Old General Mu, ¡°Father, look at this yatou. She learned martial arts and don¡¯t do anything proper. Instead, she does disobedient and unfilial things. She pretends to be possessed by her mother¡¯s ghost to hit me yesterday. Now, she¡¯s gone even more overboardst night. She shaved my beard and her mother¡¯s hair all off. How is your son and her mother going to meet people?!¡±

    Old General Mu was too shocked by his transformation into a ¡°eunuch¡± to react.

    He didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as he asked, ¡°What did you say? You said that You¡¯er shaved off your beard and cut off your wife¡¯s hair?¡±

    ¡°Who else is it if it isn¡¯t her?¡± Mu YingRui shouted. ¡°Only she resents us. Only she can mysteriously turn us into this. Other than her who knows martial arts and medicine, who else can it be?

    ¡°Besides, Fourth Yiniang said that she saw a woman¡¯s figurest night. She was dressed in Dier¡¯s clothing and came over to my bed. If it¡¯s not this darned yatou pretending to be a ghost, then can it really be Dier¡¯s ghost? Father, do you really believe that there are ghosts in this world?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Old General Mu didn¡¯t even hesitate and replied. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t believe it, it doesn¡¯t mean that they do not exist. Someone, bring Fourth Yiniang over. This general wants to question her.¡±

    Old General Mu only had two females, one maidservant and older woman, serving him. The older woman was Aunt Xia, the wife of Old General Mu¡¯s coachman. The maidservant was named Wanshu.

    Wanshu obeyed and soon brought Fourth Yiniang over. Fourth Yiniang saw Old General Mu¡¯s tiger¡¯s might and prestige and was scared into her legs went soft. She entered the room and fell to her knees. ¡°Bieqie pays respects to Lao TaiYe. Wishing Lao TaiYe good fortune.¡±

    ¡°Tell me in detail the matter of you seeing the previous furen¡¯s ghostst night.¡± Old General Mumanded. His voice contained a touch of undetected excitement.

 Chapter 155 Revealing Your True Face

    <h4>Chapter 155 Revealing Your True Face</h4>

    Could Dier really have returned? His sons did not know that Dier was still alive. But when he heard his son mentioned that ghost¡¯s skills, he knew that his granddaughter was not currently at that level. Only Dier could have done those things with her spiritual power.

    Fourth Yiniang was afraid of Old General Mu the most. When she had dystocia giving birth to her daughter, Mu YingRui was panicked and called Dier to help her give birth. When Old General Mu found out, he kicked Mu YingRui until he spat out blood in front of all the servants.

    She still remembered Old General Mu¡¯s roars when she was in the delivery room. ¡°You scoundrel. You actually have your virtuous wife help your lowly concubine give birth! This old man will break your dog legs!¡±

    Later, Dier saved her and her daughter. She was grateful to the kind and generous deceased furen. She thought that she was much better than the current Wang Yiping.

    However, Fourth Yiniang was really afraid of Old General Mu deep in her bones. She trembled and described what she had seenst night.

    Old General Mu immediately asked, ¡°What time was it?¡±

    Fourth Yiniang thought and her face turned a little hot. But she still answered, very certainly, ¡°Between Rending (9 p.m.) to Hai Shi (11 p.m.).¡±

    She was very certain because after Rending, she and Laoye had just finished the act. She wanted to wash up after looking at the hourss. It was just past Rending.

    Old General Mu finally revealed an excited smile. He said to Zi You, ¡°It seems like your mother really came. She must be missing you and this family. So, during this Reunion Festival, she came back to see you.¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s scalp turned numb. He didn¡¯t know that Dier was not really dead. He really thought that her ghost hade back. He was scared silly and asked, ¡°Father, how can you be so sure?¡±

    Old General Mu was in a very good mood now, so he had the patience to answer him. ¡°Because You¡¯er was ying chess with me from Rending to Hai Shi. Can she split her body? The person who went to your room must have been Dier.¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s face turned the color of dead ash. He immediately copsed onto the ground.

    Fourth Yiniang was doing better. Although she was also afraid, she had not, after all, done anything to harm Xiaojie. Fortunately, several times when Mu YingRui was doting on their daughter, she had even tried to persuade him to care about Xiaojie more. So, she was afraid, but not like Mu YingRui, who almost lost control of his bowels.

    At this moment, the person who was feeling the mostplicated was Zi You. She looked at the excitement on her grandfather¡¯s face and felt guilty and sad.

    So it wasn¡¯t only her who missed her mother. Grandfather and probably uncle and aunt did too.

    But when she looked at the g father¡¯s unfortunate expression, she wanted to smile. But she could not smile. She had to pretend to be excited too. This really put her in a bind.

    After pondering for a while, she rushed excitedly into her grandfather¡¯s arms. She was enthusiastic and tearful as she asked, ¡°Grandfather, grandfather, really...... Is it true that mother came back? But why didn¡¯t shee to see You¡¯er? Grandfather, You¡¯er really misses mother. Really, really misses her.¡±

    When she spoke at the end, it wasn¡¯t just acting anymore. They were real emotions.

    Old General Mu also had tearful tiger eyes. At this time, Mu YingYi also walked in excitedly. He looked at this father and asked, ¡°Father, is Di...... Is sister-inw back?¡±

    Old General Mu looked at the hidden tears in his second son¡¯s eyes and his heart couldn¡¯t help but pain.

    Sentimental kid! Unfortunately, his feelings would be a permanent regret in his life.

    Zi You saw that her uncle¡¯s reaction to hearing the news about her mother was many more times better than her g father¡¯s. She just hated that she wasn¡¯t her uncle¡¯s daughter. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t she be happier than she was now?

    She thought this and saw uncle looking lovingly at her. She cutely wrapped her arms around her uncle¡¯s waist. ¡°Uncle......¡±

    This scene stung Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes. His daughter had always been cold and indifferent to him. He couldn¡¯t help but think of Wang Yiping¡¯s words. ¡°Bieqie looks at You¡¯er and her uncle¡¯s intimacy. They look more like father and daughter than she and you, Laoye.¡±

    Mu YingRui not only did not scrutinize himself as to why Zi You was cold to him, but he hated Mu YingYi now.

    He even began to wonder whether Dier was so cold to him because she loved his younger brother and not him.

    Once he thought this, the monstrous hate and jealousy in his heart was like a blooming vine. It spread over his heart and lungs.

    During worshipping ceremony in the afternoon, they went to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. That was when Zi You saw Wang Yiping.

    Zi You looked her puffy, bloodshot eyes. Her face was yellow. She was wearing a snow cap that wrapped tightly around her head. Her eyes were as sinister as a poisonous snake¡¯s.

    Zi You thought of the words that Yenhong said to her when she blocked her from paying respects to Wang Yiping in the morning. ¡°Furen is unwell. She excuses Xiaojie from paying her respects. She wants to be alone.¡±

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but smile in ridicule. She looked concerned and went over to her. She asked with a lot of care and concern, ¡°Mother, are you feeling better? You¡¯er thinks you look unwell. Do you want to invite a doctor over?¡±

    This cheap wench! Why were her thoughts so deep? They had already shed all pretenses of cordiality yesterday. She had cursed her so much, but this cheap wench didn¡¯t even turn against Wang Yiping.

    Wang Yiping wanted Zi You to disrespect her in both words and deeds so much! Then she could tell the world how this cheap wench was disobedient and unfilial.

    However, no matter how Wang Yiping mocked her, she still smiled at her. Her patience was much more than Wang Yiping¡¯s.

    She was only younger than Wang Yiping by five years. But her scheming, tolerance, and tenacity did not lose out to Wang Yiping.

    Wang Yiping strongly suppressed her anger. She squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying. ¡°Mother is much better. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    A pair of ghost ws held Zi You¡¯s hand, like a vise trying to break her bones.

    Zi You could even hear her gnashing her teeth. She knew that she hated her, but also had to pretend to be a loving mother in front of others.

    Thus, her eyes turned. She pretended to endure, while frowning in pain, and whispered, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re hurting daughter¡¯s hand.¡±

    Her voice was light, but Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were martial artists. They had sharp ears and keen eyes, so they naturally heard it.

    They angrily turned around and red at Wang Yiping. This one nce scared Wang Yiping into breaking out in cold sweat that soaked her inner clothing with a ¡°whoosh.¡±

    Their gazes were like a cheetah staring at prey: full of bloodthirstiness.

    Father and son scolded her almost simultaneously in their hearts. ¡®Malicious woman, you dare to scheme to kill You¡¯er time and time again. Now, you dare to bully her in front of us. Do you really think that we¡¯re dead?¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯er,e over here.¡± They called out together.

    Zi You walked over quickly. Old General Mu and Mu YingYi held her hand up and examined it carefully. They saw that there a few deep red marks on the white and tender skin on her left hand. They angrily red at Wang Yiping again. If they weren¡¯t here to worship the ancestors, Wang Yiping would probably have been reprimanded again.

    Old General Mu could not publicly get angry at Wang Yiping, so he directly said to Mu YingRui, ¡°Our Mu family will never allow a malicious daughter-inw in the family, lest the ancestors can¡¯t rest in peace. You two return. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t worship the ancestors.¡±

    Mu YingRui went over to Wang Yiping and couldn¡¯t help but loudly shout, ¡°What did you do now? Why can¡¯t you stop? Why don¡¯t you go back to your maiden family and stay for a while? Don¡¯t stay here and be hateful.¡±

    Wang Yiping did not say anything. She looked like a pitiful and bullied daughter-inw. She hung her head with tears flowing down. If one didn¡¯t know, one would think that Old General Mu had bullied her.

    Zi You coldly sneered. She hurried to persuade, ¡°Grandfather, father, you¡¯re wrong about mother. She¡¯s not feeling well. She might have been dizzy earlier? That¡¯s why she grabbed a hold of me. It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t hurt. It really doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    You want to act like a small, white flower so people will say that grandfather doesn¡¯t like his daughter-inw? I won¡¯t let you. I will reveal your true face in public.

    As Zi You spoke, she rubbed her arm. Sure enough, the servants looked at Wang Yiping with reproach.

    This new First Furen was really malicious. No wonder they heard that the previous deceased furen¡¯s ghost came. It was probably because she could not stand her bullying Xiaojie.

    Novel things always spread rapidly. Before the afternoon, almost every servant in the General¡¯s Manor knew that the previous deceased furen¡¯s ghost had appeared. It not only shaved First Laoye¡¯s beard and cut off First Furen¡¯s hair, but also took away the imprisoned Liu Yanhong from the woodshed.

    This morning, Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping did not have time to care about the imprisoned Liu Yanhong.

    But Yenhong had a guilty conscience and was not assured. So, she snuck away to take a look.

    This look made the girl scared to death. She saw small bloodstains on the woodshed ground, but Liu Yanhong had disappeared.

    She gathered up her courage and asked the women guarding the woodshed.

    The women asked puzzled, ¡°Didn¡¯t guniang give us food and money so that we can go drinking? We drank too much and don¡¯t know what happened.¡±

    Yenhong hurriedly went to ask Wang Yiping, ¡°Furen, Liu Yanhong disappeared. What if she didn¡¯t die? And those two women knew that Nubi went overst night. What should Nubi do now?¡±

    Wang Yiping was worrying about her bald head. What should she do? She couldn¡¯t go anywhere during the Spring Festival, but she had to go visit her maiden family.

    But how could she leave the house like this? She originally thought that she would go socialize with Laoye when he returned this time and meet some nobledies. Now, was she going to go out to embarrass herself?

    She was irritable, but Yenhong was talking about that slut Liu Yanhong. So, Wang Yiping could not suppress her anger anymore.

 Chapter 156 Iâ€™ll Use Horse Tail to Make Hair for You, Mother

    <h4>Chapter 156 I¡¯ll Use Horse Tail to Make Hair for You, Mother</h4>

    A cup of hot tea sshed towards Yenhong. ¡°Everyone only wants to climb onto men¡¯s beds. Other than that, what use are you? You can¡¯t even do anything right, but now youe to bother me. What is the use of keeping you cheap wenches?¡±

    Yenhong was inexplicably scolded and suddenly her anger was to the extreme. Cheap wench. Cheap wench. If it isn¡¯t for us cheap wenches, who will do your dirty work for you? You wanted me to poison Liu Yanhong to deathst night and frame Xiaojie. Now, you change your tune.

    Also, what ¡°climbing onto men¡¯s beds?¡± Didn¡¯t you do the same? To be your maidservant is eight generations of bad luck. If it¡¯s not being beaten, then it¡¯s being scolded. We don¡¯t have a future with you, so what¡¯s the point?

    Look at Xiaojie¡¯s four first-rank maidservants. They live sofortably. If my parents, younger siblings, and my own very deeds aren¡¯t in your hands, I would have switched to Xiaojie¡¯s side already.

    Yenhong was sshed by the hot tea and an idea sprouted. She then thought of Wei mama and Liulu who were bedridden and couldn¡¯t move. She felt that her future following Wang Yiping was very bleak.

    The two of them were Wang Yiping¡¯s confidants, especially Wei mama. She was Wang Yiping¡¯s nanny and treated Wang Yiping like her own daughter. But what was the result? She suffered forty boards in punishment. Wang Yiping just took one look at them and gave them some ointment.

    She wasn¡¯t even willing to invite a doctor for them. Her reason was very sufficient. ¡°You are servants and aren¡¯t qualified to invite an imperial doctor over. Most doctors aren¡¯t working because of the holidays. So, I can only make you two suffer.¡±

    Bullsh*t. Who said that doctors weren¡¯t working? She was just afraid that it coincided with the New Year, so the doctors¡¯ fees would be too high. She was just reluctant to spend more money.

    Yenhong was angry, so she turned around and told her mother, Nee Yu, one of the two stewards of the first household¡¯s embroidery rooms, about Wang Yiping¡¯s hair being cut off by a ghost.

    Nee Yu looked at her daughter¡¯s blistered face and went to spread the news everywhere, like a broadcaster. Soon, everyone knew about the deceased furen being unhappy with how the current First Furen was treating her daughter. Her ghost came and cut off all of First Furen¡¯s hair in revenge.

    Everyone already disdained Wang Yiping. Now, witnessing this current scene, they disdained her even more.

    Instead, they really thought that Zi You was really filial and kind. She was bullied by her stepmother like this and still spoke up for her.

    Zi You originally wanted to destroy Wang Yiping¡¯s reputation. Now that she had seen the servants¡¯ gazes, she immediately went over to persuade Old General Mu. ¡°Grandfather, on ount of You¡¯er, let¡¯s forget about this. Please let father and mothere with us to worship the ancestors.¡±

    Old General Mu did not know Zi You¡¯s real intentions. He saw her being so tolerant and his heart ached even more. He disliked his first son and first daughter-inw even more.

    He reluctantly allowed the two to go inside the ancestral hall to worship the ancestors.

    But things were beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. When it was Mu YingRui¡¯s turn to light incense, Dier¡¯s memorial tablet fell over with a ¡°bang¡± and smashed onto his body.

    When it was Wang Yiping¡¯s turn to light incense, the situation was even stranger. Not only could she not light the incense, but the ancestors¡¯ memorial tablets all few down.

    Old General Mu originally thought that it was Zi You using her spiritual power, but he looked at her ck eyes. They did not turn purple.

    Then he suspected that Dier was actually hiding in the ancestral hall. But he and Mu YingYi looked around excitedly and could not find traces of anyone there.

    Only Zi You knew that all this was done by Shangguan LingRan. That was because she had seen the little spirit mouse Xiaohui that she had given him nimbly dart by.

    Since things were like this, Old General Mu could only coldly say to Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui, ¡°Did you see that? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m heartless, but the ancestors cannot tolerate you. After the Spring Festival, you two move out of the General¡¯s Manor.¡±

    Moving out of the General¡¯s Manor is letting you off too easily. With grandfather¡¯s kindness, he won¡¯t really kick you, g father, out without anything. If he really gives you money and property, won¡¯t that be letting you gain a cheap advantage? I¡¯m now addicted to ying with you. I can¡¯t easily let you get away.

    Zi You immediately knelt in front of the ancestors¡¯ memorial tablets and pled for her parents. ¡°I beg the ancestors to forgive my parents mistakes. Unworthy descendant Mu Zi You is willing to bear all the fault and punishment. I beg you! I beg you......¡±

    She looked very sincere, making Old General Mu very gratified. Even Mu YingRui bowed his head in shame.

    Zi You¡¯s forehead was swollen from the kowtowing. Old General Mu couldn¡¯t bear this and pulled her up. He reprimanded Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui, ¡°You have the nerve to have your child take the me for you? Hurry and apologize to the ancestors.¡±

    So, the two unlucky people knelt for four hours in front of the memorial tablets. When the skin on their foreheads were broken, the ancestors finally forgave them and allowed them to light the incense.

    Everything was too easy for Zi You. The caretaker of the ancestral hall was Dier¡¯s loyal supporter.

    Zi You made a mark on each stick of incense to signify which would not burn. Others could not see, but Zi You and Ma Daye who proffered the incense could see them clearly.

    After Zi You and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s actions, Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping could only pretend to be ill, stay in the fu, and not go outside.

    Even when the Emperor invited all his officials, ministers, and their families for a banquet, Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping could only sigh regretfully at the Pce that they couldn¡¯t go to.

    The Pce¡¯s banquet on New Year¡¯s was like a modern-day New Year¡¯s visit. Everyone had worked hard for a year. The employer and employees gathered to drink and chat and make merry.

    In the ancient times, the Emperor invited his officials to bring their families into the Pce to express his grace. Everyone gathered together as proof of the imperial family¡¯s favor and grace and embodiment of the Emperor¡¯s love for his officials. It also came with the opportunity for all the gongzis and xiaojies to meet.

    In her previous life, Zi You was afraid of being ridiculed, so she had listened to Wang Yiping Old¡¯s advice and did not participate a few times.

    As a result, Wang Yiping took advantage of the banquets to discredit her. She told everyone that she was too aloof and disdainful.

    Instead, Wang Yiping gave people a very good impression of herself. She was generous, virtuous, and kind. When Zi You had no friends and was humiliated in Duke Yongnan fu, no one med Wang Yiping.

    Now, it was time for Wang Yiping to experience that feeling.

    Arguably, Mu YingRui, as a fourth-rank magistrate with a post elsewhere, was not eligible to attend the Emperor¡¯s banquet on New Year¡¯s. But on ount of Old General Mu, the Emperor still allowed Old General Mu to bring his eldest son and eldest daughter-inw into the Pce.

    Wang Yiping was vain and loved attention. She relied on Old General Mu¡¯s limelight in the previous life to attend prestigious gatherings. Now, Zi You would not let that poisonous woman get even a little bit of benefit from her grandfather.

    Thus, when Zi You went to pay respects to Wang Yiping on New Year¡¯s, she looked at Wang Yiping¡¯s tightly wrapped head. She pretended toment and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s really a pity! It will be great if mother can go to the Pce with You¡¯er today. Unfortunately, You¡¯er cannot stay with you today. The Emperor¡¯s imperial edictmanded You¡¯er to bring the female medical team into the Pce.¡±

    Wang Yiping was immediately so angry that her liver hurt. The regret on Zi You¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem to be fake, but Wang Yiping was certain. She was certain that Zi You came to deliberately annoy her.

    Zi You could clearly see the insidiousness and ruthlessness in Wang Yiping¡¯s eyes. As she was feeling refreshed, she didn¡¯t forget to ruthlessly stab a knife into Wang Yiping¡¯s bleeding heart.

    ¡°Mother, why don¡¯t You¡¯er use hair from a horse¡¯s tail to make you a wig? Hair from a horse¡¯s tail is a bit coarse, but it¡¯s long enough. If you wear it at night with some hairpins, maybe no one will notice. How about You¡¯er go cut some horse hair now to try?¡±

    Wang Yiping was so angry that she almost spat out blood. She strongly suppressed the fishy sweetness in her mouth. She lifelessly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Go and get ready. I¡¯m not feeling well. I want to be alone.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Then you have a good rest. Daughter will take her leave.¡± Zi You hid her smile and left.

    Back at Hundred Herb Garden, Zi Youughed heartily. Herughter startled even the sparrows and other birds that she was raising.

    There were parrots, songbirds, swallows, magpies, and eagles.

    Unfortunately, among these animals that could psychicallymunicate with her, shecked a gyrfaclcon that she really wanted.

    Shangguan LingRan had said that he would send her a special gift. She didn¡¯t know whether it would be a gyrfalcon.

    The trip to the Pce today shouldn¡¯t be lonely. After Wang Yiping released some news, she immediately sent Wei mama out to contact Bai Yiniang and Nee Chen. Bai Yiniang immediately contacted Shangguan Lingluo.

    Haha...... It would be fun today. Let¡¯s prepare. She couldn¡¯t let these people who schemed against her be disappointed.

    Zi You made preparations and gave orders to Weishali and the other spirit pets that could psychicallymunicate her. Then she returned to Youran Ju and began to get dressed.

    When everything was ready to go, Old General Mu sent Wanshu over to see if she was ready.

    Zi You draped on a white fox cloak and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Wanshu looked at Zi You and was shocked. She looked foolishly and eximed, ¡°Xiaojie, you¡¯re really bing more and more beautiful!¡±

    This was sincere praise from her heart. She felt that Xiaojie had been secretly going through changes.

    Especially those eyes. They were like a pool of deep well water. They could absorb people¡¯s souls.

    Her elegant and refined temperament was also unforgettable. She was like a detached and quietly blooming lotus.

    Wanshu was amazed, not to mention the forty-six members of the female medical team.

    When Zi You was with them usually, she wore the same altered male military uniform.

    They didn¡¯t wear a dress with the long robe, but army pants underneath. It was paired with standard ck masin boots.

 Chapter 157 Meeting the â€œSparrowâ€ Yu Lanxuan Again in the Palace

    <h4>Chapter 157 Meeting the ¡°Sparrow¡± Yu Lanxuan Again in the Pce</h4>

    The only difference was that Zi You¡¯s robe was white with red trim. Theirs were sky blue with ice blue trim.

    They wore their hair in a bun, like men. Other than ss time and holidays, they were not allowed to wear their own clothing. Of course, these female ves did not have any other clothing other than the ones the General¡¯s Manor gave them.

    The Emperor wanted Zi You to take the female medical team into the Pce probably to see their results. So, Zi You went over to the girls and nced majestically at them. She forcefully and sonorously said, ¡°You have been soldiers for four months and twelve days now. I want you toply with military regtions in the Pce today.

    ¡°You cannot leave the team and go off alone without my orders. Don¡¯t have any twisted thoughts. Keep in mind that your current life is not easily obtained. Don¡¯t do things that let me down or make you have regrets for a lifetime. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°We understand!¡± The girls responded orderly. They were alreadypletely different from four months ago.

    The female medical team¡¯s training was inplete ordance with the Mu army training. The soldiers she brought outside were not allowed to defile the Mu army¡¯s reputation.

    The girls were dressed in standard clothing that the General¡¯s Manor made for them.

    The light blue colored damask coat was lined with white rabbit fur. It was paired with a deep green embroidered dress.

    The older ones had Wanyue buns. A silver hairpin embedded with crystal beads had tassels hanging down. Two crystal clear beads hung from the tassels, swaying across their cheeks.

    The younger ones had double chignons. They had a green ribbon with crystal beads on their heads. The ribbons hung under the buns and made the girls seem more innocent and cute.

    Rong Yunhe looked at his sister and then at Zi You. He lowered his head with aplicated expression.

    Zi You looked at him and her eyes sharply shed, but she soon returned to her calmness. Then she ordered, ¡°Captain Rong, you and Xie Changsheng, Sun Xinsheng, and Luo Weicheng, take teams one, two, and three respectively and watch over them in the Pce. Don¡¯t let them run around.¡±

    The female medical team was separated into three teams. Teams one and two had fifteen people each. Team three had had six people. Xie Changsheng, Sun Xinsheng, and Luo Weicheng were the respective captains. Rong Yunhe was the general captain and responsible for everything when Zi You wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Yunhe saluted and brought the girls onto the horse carriages. Then he, Xie Changsheng, Sun Xinsheng, and Luo Weicheng got onto horse carriages and followed Zi You, Old General Mu, and Nee Liu¡¯s horse carriage towards the Pce.

    When they arrived at the Pce, horse carriages from various fus had been gathered around the gate.

    Furens and xiaojies were arranged on pce sedan chairs and lifted towards the Pce.

    Zi You told Shiyun, ¡°Tell Rong Yunhe to gather the female team behind my sedan chair.¡±

    When two eunuchs saw that the General¡¯s Manor¡¯s horse carriage was there, they hurried over and bowed. ¡°Nucai pays resects to Great General. Please get on, Great General!¡±

    At this time, other ministers had already arrived, such as Duke Weiguo and Marquis Wuan. When they saw how respectful the eunuchs were to Old General Mu, they were more or less displeased.

    This was the benefit of having military power. Although they held noble titles, when it came to power, they could notpare to Old General Mu or Mu YingYi. They could onlye here first, but enter the Pceter than them.

    Although Old General Mu held military power in his hands, he was a straightforward and upright and not snobbish person.

    He did not do what the eunuchs said and got on the sedan chair first. Instead, he pointed to Duke Weiguo and Marquis Wuan and said, ¡°They were here first, so you should arrange to let them enter the Pce first.¡±

    One of the eunuchs was Chengguang Pce Hall¡¯s Eunuch Cheng. He immediately smiled tteringly. ¡°Nucai is under the Emperor¡¯s verbal decree to wait here for Great General. When Great General arrives, Nucai is supposed to immediately show you in.¡±

    When Old General Mu heard that it was the Emperor¡¯s decree, he didn¡¯t dare to refuse anymore. He could only cup his hands towards Duke Weiguo and Marquis Wuan and said slightly apologetically, ¡°Apologies, Duke, Marquis. This old man will go ahead first.¡±

    Old General Mu was just about to get on the sedan chair, but Eunuch Cheng said to Zi You, ¡°Please get on a sedan chair too, Mu Xiaojie. The Emperor has summoned you too.¡±

    ¡°En?!¡± Zi You was slightly surprised, but she didn¡¯t show it. She calmly and slowly prepared to get on the sedan chair.

    ¡°You jiejie!¡± Just then, a voice called out to her. Zi You would never forget that coy and delicate voice in her previous or current life. Sure enough, like a water snake, someone slithered over wearing a fire fox green-edged crane overcoat, ck gold-embroidered boots, a moon-white narrow sleeved coat, a moon-white fox fur top, and a pink cotton skirt. Sure enough, it was Yu Lanxuan.

    Zi You looked back. Yu Meilian, her mother Nee Lu, and father, Minister of Revenue Yu daren [official] were there. They might have possibly heard Eunuch Cheng say that the Emperor had summoned her and Old General Mu, so they were looking enviously at her.

    Zi You faintly curtsied and that counted as politely greeting them. She turned to look innocently at Yu Lanxuan and said, ¡°Shu daughters can participate in the Pce banquet today?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan¡¯s face with a sharp chin immediately sunk. She red quite resentfully at Zi You. Yes, as a Shu daughter, she indeed was not eligible to participate in such a banquet.

    After she had tried to seduce Zhao HongXiang and was brought back home on Duke Yongnan¡¯s orders, she was shut indoors for a month.

    But her yiniang Wang Yaping, exerted all means to serve Minister of Revenue in bed. She not only got Yu Lanxuan out, but also threatened the main wife Nee Lu to raise Yu Lanxuan as a Di daughter.

    That was why she coulde to the Pce with great fanfare today. Only, outsiders did not know the truth. Zi You learned this matter from her spirit pets, so she pretended to be ignorant now. She deliberately asked her question in a voice that Nee Lu and Yu Meilian could hear. Sure enough, Nee Lu and Yu Meilian¡¯s faces changed.

    Obviously, they were very reluctant to have Yu Lanxuan be a Di daughter. But under the pressure by the Minister of Revenue and some other officials, they could only nod and agree to raise Yu Lanxuan under Nee Lu¡¯s name.

    This was a thorn in Nee Lu and Yu Meilian¡¯s hearts. If others touched it, they would be in unbearable pain. This was what Zi You wanted.

    Yu Lanxuan was used to acting in her previous life. Zi You was na?ve and was deceived again and again. Zi You coldly smiled. In this lifetime, I will rip off your beautiful mask.

    So, Zi You feigned concern and said, ¡°Don¡¯t risk your life just to enter the Pce. The Emperor invited fifth-rank and higher officials, their main wives, and Di children. You are a Shu daughter. Don¡¯tmit the crime of deceiving the monarch.¡± She then turned to get on the sedan chair.

    Yu Lanxuan noticed that a lot of people were already looking at her with sneering and ridiculing eyes. She immediately announced, ¡°I¡¯m a Di daughter now. Mother is raising me under her name. From now on, I am a Di daughter.¡±

    It was fine if she didn¡¯t say it, but her guilty conscience showed when she stammered her words out in rification. Those who were at the Pce gate were all main wives and Di children. Their eyes looking at Yu Lanxuan filled with even more contempt. She really was a Shu daughter who could not be seen in public. A sparrow was a sparrow. Even it flew onto the branches, it could not be a phoenix.

    Even Minister of Revenue felt that his usually doted-on little daughter was shameful. He couldn¡¯t help but lowly reprimand, ¡°What are you screaming about there? Hurry ande over here.¡±

    Nee Lu originally hated Zi You because Wang Yaping and Wang Yiping were sisters. But her hatred had reduced a lot after this. She bent down and whispered to Yu Meilian, ¡°You should interact with that Mu Zi You more. Using her to deal with that little cheap wench isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡±

    Yu Meilian nodded and did not reply, but she was calcting in her heart. Fourth Gongzhu hated Mu Zi You to death, so she could not be friendly with Mu Zi You. Otherwise, if Fourth Gongzhu found out, she would punish her. That unruly Gongzhu was someone who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. She could not be offended.

    But her Shu sister was really annoying. She oftenpeted with her for her grandmother¡¯s love. If she didn¡¯t teach her a good lesson, it would be hard to lessen the hatred in her heart. What should she do to not offend Fourth Gongzhu, but still get Mu Zi You to deal with that little cheap wench?

    Yu Meilian¡¯s mind turned eighteen corners. Looking at the sisters Yu Meilian and Yu Lanxuan, it could be seen that prominent families¡¯ xiaojies were not simple and kind. They were all malevolent withplex thoughts.

    The Pce was always the most beautiful ce in the world. The best craftsmen had meticulously carved everything. A Taichi pool surrounded half of the imperial Pce. Rockeries surrounded corridors. In the winter, all kinds of flowers withered, but the nts here were green and brilliantly red.

    Silk cloth made fake flowers andnterns were hung.

    Zi You went with her grandfather to Chengguang Pce Hall. She walked dignified and elegantly before bowing to the Emperor. Her light voice said, ¡°Chennu pays respects to the Emperor. May Emperor live tens of thousands of years!¡±

    ¡°Look up and let Zhen take a look.¡± The Emperorzily said.

    Zi You slowly looked up and looked steadily forwards.

    ¡°Ah......¡± The Emperor and the pce servants were stunned.

    Actually, when Zi You had walked into the pce hall, they were already dumbfounded. They saw a white fox fur cloak wrapped almost around her entire body. Only her long cherry red train was exposed under her cloak. The lotus embroidered hemline swung vividly as she walked......

 Chapter 158 The Lecherous Emperorâ€™s Vile Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 158 The Lecherous Emperor¡¯s Vile Thoughts</h4>

    Her ck hair was in a Feitian Bun. She didn¡¯t have a hairpin on but wrapped an emerald ribbon around her hair. A silk ribbon wrapped around her forehead. Her long hair poured over her shoulders. The emerald ribbon intertwined throughout her hair and moved with her every move. She looked gentle and elegant.

    Now that everyone saw her face, they were further stunned speechless.

    Xuanwu Emperor was about to be forty years old. His fortieth birthday celebration would be in May of this year. The lecherous Emperor had ascended the throne at the age of twenty one year. He had seen many beauties, but had to admit that they were missing somethingpared to this beauty in front of him.

    Let¡¯s not talk about her makeup, grace, and charm. But just her pair of bright purple eyes was enough to hook his soul.

    She had not reached marriageable age yet and was already so magnificent. When she grew up and turned from a bud to a beautiful flower, how beautiful would be?!

    Since they had met in the pce hall to discuss about the formation of the female medical team, it had only been four months. The little yatou seemed to have grown taller. Her posture was more upright and she looked more beautiful.

    It was said that her mother was a beautiful woman. It seemed that the rumors weren¡¯t false. No wonder his sons and nephew wanted to propose marriage. It seemed that other than Old General Mu¡¯s military power, they were coveting this little yatou¡¯s outstanding appearance.

    The Emperor stared interested at Zi You and didn¡¯t say anything for half a day. This rmed Old General Mu. He imperceptibly leaned his body over and blocked the Emperor¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Emperor, what are yourmands to summon Chen and Chen¡¯s granddaughter?¡±

    The Emperor was reminded by Old General Mu and returned to his senses. He smiled as he said, ¡°You were ordered to form a female medical team. It is Great Yan¡¯s first female medical team. It affects the safety of thousands of soldiers. You¡¯er, this yatou, is only twelve years old and so young. Zhen is a bit worried. So Zhen called beloved official and You¡¯er here to ask how the female ves are doing.¡±

    No w could be picked out from the Emperor¡¯s words. But his ¡°You¡¯er¡± and ¡°yatou¡± were very intimate, surprising Old General Mu and Zi You.

    After all, they had only seen each other once. They were not familiar to be on such intimate terms.

    Zi You was sensitive to some abnormality. In her previous life, she had hardly seen this Emperor. She only knew that he governed the country very averagely.

    In this lifetime, to protect her family, she had thoroughly studied this lecherous Emperor.

    First: He was suspicious. He didn¡¯t trust anyone. He didn¡¯t even trust his sons, brother, and women, much less his subjects.

    Second: He was lecherous and dissolute. He had a lot of women in his harem. He had five feis. One of them was Liu Guifei, Duke Anguo¡¯s cousin and the Empress Dowager¡¯s niece.

    He had four other feis: Xian Fei, Shu Fei, De Fei, and Hui Fei. Xian Fei was Third Wangzi¡¯s Mufei. Hui Fei was Shangguan Lingluo and Fourth Wangzi¡¯s Mufei and from the Empress¡¯ camp. She was dead already. The current Hui Fei was Minister of Appointments¡¯ Di daughter, Qin Lan.

    Other than one Empress, one Guifei, four feis, and the other Jieyus, Zhaoyis, Meirens...... There were more than 200 people.

    Third: He wanted to achieve extraordinary things. He wholeheartedly wanted his achievements to surpass his ancestors.

    Zi You thought of this Emperor¡¯s character and deliberately smiled in admiration. ¡°Emperor, Chennu is young, but has Emperor¡¯s constant care. Chennu will not cken the female medical team. Chennu will use Emperor¡¯s glorious achievements to motivate them.¡±

    Sure enough, the words ¡°glorious achievements¡± made the Emperor extremely happy. He asked, grinning, ¡°Oh? What glorious achievement does Zhen have?¡±

    Zi You revealed a little girl¡¯s cuteness and pretended to mischievously tilt her head. She counted on her fingers as she said, ¡°Does Emperor want to test Chennu? Chennu is female, but how can Chennu not know about the glorious achievements of the country¡¯s monarch?

    ¡°Since Emperor has ascended to the throne, Emperor has done a lot of great things. Grandfather told Chennu that Emperor strengthened centralized state power and made iron, salt, wine, and other businesses under the control of the state. Emperor prohibited private forging and selling salt to centralize the power.

    ¡°Emperor attaches great importance to martial arts, but also Confucianism. Emperor specially found a Confucian school in the capital, Taixue, to nurture talent. A lot of poor students could pursue their studies. While promoting Confucianism, Emperor also adopted statutes andws to consolidate the authority of the imperial authority to bring officials and citizens together.

    ¡°Our Great Yan is thriving, but Emperor did not neglect the government. Emperor adopted the policies and still focused on the development of military power. Of course, Emperor¡¯s most brilliant achievement is to agree to forming the female medical team. Since the ancient times, females are not valued. Emperor believes in Chennu, which means that Emperor is great! Broadminded......¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still talking?¡± Old General Mu pretended to deliberately reprimand her. He immediately apologized to the Emperor. ¡°Chen didn¡¯t teach her well. This child is talking nonsense. Chen asks Emperor to mete out punishment.¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± The Emperorughed in a good mood. ¡°Beloved official has taught his granddaughter so well. What punishment?¡±

    He looked at Zi You and said, ¡°Definitely worthy of being a military family¡¯s descendant. Your courage is extraordinary. A lot of people are afraid of Zhen when they see Zhen. But why aren¡¯t you nervous?¡±

    Old General Mu sweated for Zi You.

    This question was not easy to answer. If she said that she was afraid, then she was clearly scolding the Emperor for being cruel. If she said she wasn¡¯t afraid, what subject wasn¡¯t afraid of the Emperor? Wasn¡¯t that tantamount to saying that the Emperor was not mighty enough to frighten her?

    Old General Mu looked worriedly at Zi You. He saw her smile. ¡°Chennu is themander of the female medical team. How can Chennu lead the females to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield without having some courage?

    ¡°Chennu is not nervous seeing Emperor, because Chennu knows that Emperor is a wise ruler. As long as Chennu is loyal to Emperor and not make mistakes, Emperor will not treat Chennu badly. All the citizens in the world are Emperor¡¯s. Chennu is like Emperor¡¯s child. Which child is afraid of her own monarch father? There should only be respect.¡±

    Everyone liked listening to pleasant words. Xuanwu Emperor was not an exception. Of course, if Old General Mu said these words, he would only believe about 30%. But these words were spoken by a na?ve and cute little girl. Also, this girl was as beautiful as a little fairy. The Emperor fully believed her.

    ¡°Ha......¡± Xuanwu Emperor was very happy. He looked more and more interested in Zi You.

    Xuanwu Emperor secretly thought of how the thirty assassins¡¯ bodies disappeared at Yunwu Mountainst time. ording to Mu YingYi¡¯s report, they were all thrown into a deep pool. The pool was too deep, so no one could go down and fish them out.

    That had made him suspicious. Why would you throw the assassins into a pool? What were they hiding? Did Mu Zi You have some magical ability like her mother? He had secretly investigated. Dier was said to be able to revive the dead. Who knew if that was true?

    If it was true, then did Mu Zi You have such skills like her mother? If he could bring her over to his side, then he didn¡¯t need to be afraid of anyone.

    The Emperor thought of this and smiled as he said, ¡°At the end of the banquet, bring your female medical team here and demonstrate what they have learned in these four months. They will be greatly rewarded if Zhen is satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You replied, with a sh in her eyes.

    The Emperor was happy, so he had Old General Mu and Zi You sit down. Then he asked about Zi You¡¯s hobbies and finally about Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui.

    It seemed that the news of them being harsh to Zi You and Dier¡¯s ghost teaching them a lesson had spread into the Pce.

    The Emperor said meaningfully, ¡°Did your mother and father enter the Pce today? Zhen wants to see what kind of woman is able to make a biological father treat his daughter so coldly. Old General Mu, your oldest son is not taught well. Ai! Zhen is guilty! Because you have been stationed long-term at the border and not at home, your childcks fatherly discipline.¡±

    How could Old General Mu dare to me the Emperor? He hurriedly bowed. ¡°Chen doesn¡¯t dare. If Emperor says that, then Emperor is looking down on Chen. Protecting one¡¯s home is the duty of a soldier. Emperor must not me yourself. That makes Chen ashamed.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You naivelyforted the Emperor. ¡°Emperor, don¡¯t feel guilty! In fact, this is also not grandfather¡¯s or Emperor¡¯s fault. It¡¯s like arge number of saplings nted together. They could grow differently even if they¡¯re watered and trimmed. You can¡¯t me the gardener, right?

    ¡°Take a look at uncle. He¡¯s younger than father and grandfather didn¡¯t stay beside him either, but he is loyal and righteous. Oh, Chennu is not saying that father is not loyal and righteous. But father and mother are newlyweds. Being protective of mother is understandable.

    ¡°Chennu understands and does not me him or mother. Mother is young and a Shu daughter in her maiden family. Her birth yiniang is an actress, so her discipline may be a bit worse. Plus, Chennu is not birthed from her, so...... She will guard against Chennu. Chennu understands. Father and mother did not enter the Pce today. They...... They are feeling unwell.¡±

    How pitiful. She was bullied to such an extent by her father and stepmother, but still spoke out to protect them. Even the Emperor felt pity for Zi You. However, whether there were any insidious intentions contained within the pity, only the Emperor himself knew. He looked at Zi You full of love in his eyes.

    Then he said to Old General Mu, ¡°Zhen remembers that your new daughter-inw doesn¡¯t have a title yet. Zhen thinks we¡¯ll forget it! How can such a small-minded, petty person be titled a fourth-rank furen?¡±

    After saying this, he carefully observed Zi You. Old General Mu had mentioned this to Zi You before. Now the Emperor said it in front of Zi You to test her. He wanted to see if she was really as na?ve and innocent as she portrayed herself to be. It must be known that a man, especially a monarch who wanted to control everything, didn¡¯t want his women to be as scheming as the Empress. He wanted someone caring, who thought for him and his well-being, was simple, and easily manipted by him.

    Being simple and kind didn¡¯t mean that she would be foolish. She should be very intelligent, but could not fool him or scheme against him.

    In her previous life, Zi You did not know what the Emperor was thinking. But in this lifetime, she was very clear.

    Thus, she frowned, hesitated, and struggled for a long time before looking up at the Emperor. She cautiously said, ¡°Emperor, is Chennu very unfilial? Chennu knows that Chennu should plead for mother. But Chennu...... really doesn¡¯t want to. Chennu doesn¡¯t me mother, but really feel that mother should not get that honor. Ai! Forgive Chennu, Emperor! Chennu should not...... should not......¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish speaking, but two bright tears fell down from her eyes and rolled down her porcin-like face.

    Xuanwu Emperor had seen countless women cry. But he had never felt that a woman crying could be described with ¡°pear blossoms in the rain.¡± However, today, he had finally witnessed it. No, Zi You was more like a lotus and stronger than pear blossoms. She had a refined and aloof charm which caused people to pity her more.

    Xuanwu Emperor didn¡¯t know that his voice had softened. His words held a touch of doting. ¡°Silly yatou. If you feel aggrieved, then say it. Don¡¯t worry! You are Zhen¡¯s conferredmander of the first female medical team. Zhen will not let you suffer any grievances.¡±

    ¡°Chennu thanks Emperor.¡± Zi You immediately curtsied. Her beautiful face was elegant like a lotus out of the water. The Emperor was startled again. He immediately made a decision in his heart.

    He turned to Old General Mu and said, ¡°Zhen really likes You¡¯er. Bring her into the Pce often! Zhen heard that the yatou cured Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s skin ulcer. It seems like her medical skills are improving very fast. So, let her take care of the Empress Dowager¡¯s body from now on.¡±

    Old General Mu was frightened. He knelt down hurriedly with Zi You. ¡°Please forgive us, Emperor. The Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix body is precious. Chen¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s medical skills are not suitable. Chen is afraid that she is not up for this important task and will fail to live up to Emperor¡¯s expectations.¡±

    Zi You also hurriedly declined. ¡°Emperor is benevolent. Chennu is currently focusing on learning about external injuries. That is why Chennu luckily cured Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s skin ulcer. But Chennu will certainly not be as good as the imperial doctors regarding nourishing the body. Chennu is afraid to let down Emperor¡¯s trust.¡±

    She knew what the Emperor was thinking better than her grandfather. This lecherous Emperor had once admired a courtesan. After going out incognito, he fell in love with her at first sight. He had repeatedly snuck out of the Pce to meet the courtesan. Finally, regardless of the Empress Dowager¡¯s opposition and the Empress¡¯ dissuasion, he had changed the famous courtesan Qiu Guanguan¡¯s identity to bring her into the Pce. She was the current Wan meiren. This lecherous Emperor¡¯s interest in beautiful women was as strong as his interest in his empire.

 Chapter 159 Pretending to Be a Scoundrel to Prevent Zi You from Entering the Palace

    <h4>Chapter 159 Pretending to Be a Scoundrel to Prevent Zi You from Entering the Pce</h4>

    Old General Mu¡¯s worry wasn¡¯t without reason. Zi You¡¯s guess was alsopletely correct. The Emperor had wicked intentions towards Zi You. He had originally wanted to have Zi You visit the Pce often, to better control Old General Mu.

    Later, he had realized that Old General Mu really treasured his precious granddaughter. He was worried that Old General Mu wouldn¡¯t let Zi You enter the Pce and instead resent him. As he was nning to wait for Zi You to grow up a bit more, Old General Mu then told him that Zi You wanted to form a female medical team. ¡°General¡¯s Manor has bought a lot of ves who are the descendants of criminal officials from the ve market.¡±

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Emperor had seen that Old General Mu had a precious granddaughter of interracial descent whom he treated like a treasure in the General¡¯s Manor. Actually, even before this, the Emperor had already heard of Mu Zi You¡¯s famous name. Everything that had happened at Duke Anguo fu during the Mid-Autumn Festival between Zi You and his daughter Shangguan Lingluo had quickly spread throughout the capital.

    It was difficult for the little yatou who could attract butterflies and birds not to attract attention. The Emperor had noticed her, of course. Thus, he had summoned her into the Pce. The twelve-year-old little yatou did not disappoint him. She had left a deep impression on him the first time that they¡¯ve met. She had also stirred his dark interest.

    He was prepared to start his offensive to slowly capture the little yatou¡¯s heart. As long as the little yatou was conquered by him, Duke Yongnan Shizi, his sons, or his nephew wouldn¡¯t be worth mentioning. He didn¡¯t believe that he, a monarch with mature charm, was not better than those small chickens.

    He had believed that as long as Mu Zi You frequently went to the Pce, then they would asionally meet. He would slowly use his gentle offensive. The little yatou, whocked fatherly love, should fall for him. Then when he seeded, he would let Zhao HongXiang suddenly die. He had believed that even Mu Junyuan wouldn¡¯t oppose to the little yatou entering the Pce then either.

    Xuanwu Emperor thought to here and he seemed to see what would happen. Three yearster, Zi You would reach marriageable age and enter the Pce to be a consort. Old General Mu and Mu YingYi would wholeheartedly guard his border and the capital. He could be at ease and not fear anyone.

    Xuanwu Emperor thought more and more beautifully. He almost got off his dragon throne and personally helped Old General Mu and Zi You up. He took two steps, but Eunuch Yu coughed. With this reminder, Xuanwu Emperor stopped his feet.

    Then he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, You¡¯er. You can boldly make prescriptions for the Empress Dowager. Zhen will have the imperial doctors do the final checks. It is decided then. You will enter the Pce every five days. You can go to the medical clinic on the other days!¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor was very determined. He didn¡¯t allow any refusal as he waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Come with Zhen to see the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager is also very concerned about your female medical team!¡±

    Old General Mu still wanted to object, but Zi You pulled his shirt and stopped him. The Emperor had already decided. If he continued on refusing, the Emperor would be unhappy. He would think that Old General Mu didn¡¯t respect him because of his military achievements. It would be bad if the Emperor was dissatisfied with her grandfather. ording to her understanding, the Emperor was not a broad-minded person.

    Enter the Pce, then enter the Pce. She would go up the mountains for training with grandfather after the New Year anyway. The Emperor wouldn¡¯t have a reason to stop her then. Besides, she was still young. If the lecherous Emperor had any dirty intentions, he still wouldn¡¯t do anything. But even if he really dared to, with her skills, she wouldn¡¯t let him seed.

    Zi You was calm. The originally anxious Old General Mu saw this and also calmed down. He secretly chastised himself. How could a veteran on the battlefield not be as calm as a little girl?

    Shangguan LingRan was there in the Empress Dowager¡¯s Jingyang Pce. He deliberately looked lustfully at Zi You.

    Zi You deliberately looked disgusted, while secretly looking at Xuanwu Emperor. Indeed, his eyes held ridicule.

    Zi You went over to curtsy to the Empress Dowager. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Empress Dowager. Wishing Empress Dowager to live thousands and thousands of years.¡±

    The Empress Dowager was surprised to see Old General Mu and Zi Youe, but soon returned to normal. She looked at Zi You and lightly smiled. ¡°Come let Aijia take a look. Let Aijia take a look at Great Yan¡¯s first female soldier.¡±

    Zi You smiled lightly and elegantly as she walked over to the Empress Dowager. She let her look her up and down without even ncing once at Shangguan LingRan, making him ck belly.

    Darned yatou! Even if you¡¯re pretending, you don¡¯t have to be so stingy, right? You won¡¯t even look at me?

    Shangguan LingRan was angry, so he propped his legs on a phoenix chair. He said in dissatisfaction, ¡°Imperial grandmother, she didn¡¯t curtsy to me! Talk to her after she curtsies to me, okay?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was ustomed to being unrestrained and willful. With the Empress Dowager and Emperor spoiling him, who dared to do anything to him? Or else why would he be called the leader of the capital¡¯s ¡°Four Tyrants?¡±

    Although his tone was questioning, it was very overbearing. Probably only he dared to be so impudent in front of the Empress Dowager.

    But he Empress Dowager not only did not get angry, but looked dotingly at him. She smiled widely. ¡°This child. Mu Xiaojie is a girl. Can¡¯t you let it go? How is it good to be so petty?¡±

    ¡°Muhou, don¡¯t hold back Ling¡¯er¡¯s personality. Zhen likes his frankness and sincerity.¡± Xuanwu Emperor looked at Shangguan LingRan and hid the ridicule in his eyes, as he pretended to speak dotingly.

    Zi You now finally understood why Shangguan LingRan¡¯s substitute was spoiled into bing a dandy. Someone deliberately spoiled him. No wonder.

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s pampering was out of true love for her grandson. But it was hard to say with Xuanwu Emperor.

    After all, he had a brother who was versed in both civil and martial arts. His appearance and talents were all better than him. The Emperor wouldn¡¯t feel very good if his brother had an excellent son just like him.

    Zi You deliberately stared at Shangguan LingRan and went over to curtsy. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Shizi Yi. Wishing Shizi Ye good fortune!¡±

    ¡°How does this Shizi have good fortune?¡± Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You and asked frivolously, ¡°When your scary eyes don¡¯t stare at this Shizi anymore, then this Shizi will have good fortune. Hey! Little yatou, why are you always at odds with this Shizi?¡±

    He then rushed to act spoiled with the Emperor. ¡°Imperial uncle, did you see that? This darned yatou is ring at me. Why don¡¯t you give her to me as a wife?! I will make her obedient.¡±

    The Emperor looked at him acting like a scoundrel and was happy. Shangguan Yixuan, you are better than Zhen in all areas. But Zhen¡¯s sons are much better than yours. Your Di son is a dandy. Your Shu sons cannot be seen in public. As a result, Zhen¡¯s country will not fall into your hands.

    The Emperor was happy, so his tone was gentler to Shangguan LingRan. Although he reprimanded, his tone was doting. ¡°This child. Mu Xiaojie is already engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi. How can Zhen marry her to you? Besides, a wife is not for you to discipline, but for you to love.¡±

    As he spoke, he looked tenderly at Zi You. Shangguan LingRan was nauseous. He hated that he couldn¡¯t punch the Emperor twice. He suppressed the anger in his heart with difficulty. He looked devilishly charmingly at Zi You, shocking Old General Mu.

    It seemed that An Wang Shizi was also in a difficult situation! When he was in the General¡¯s Manor, he couldn¡¯t be more mature and sensible.

    But in front of his grandmother and uncle, he had to wear a mask and act. It really showed that the saying ¡°Every family had its problems¡± was true.

    The Emperor saw that Shangguan LingRan was improper and was even prouder. He spoke even gentler to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Muhou, You¡¯er is here because this yatou will be one of your imperial doctors. Although this yatou is young, she can cure Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s skin ulcer. Her medical skills certainly are not worse than the imperial doctors.

    ¡°Besides, as themander of the first female medical team in Great Yan, we should support and encourage her. Zhen......¡±

    ¡°What? No, no.¡± The Emperor had not finished speaking, but Shangguan LingRan shook his head like a rattle. ¡°Imperial uncle, your nephew doesn¡¯t trust this yatou¡¯s medical skills. Your nephew doesn¡¯t want her to experiment with imperial grandmother¡¯s phoenix body.¡± He shielded the Empress Dowager behind him with a face of vignce, angering Xuanwu Emperor until his face sunk.

    The Empress Dowager was very touched. She lightly chided Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense. Mu Xiaojie¡¯s medical skills must be superb. Otherwise, why would your imperial uncle entrust her with this task?

    ¡°Besides, your imperial uncle is right. She is Great Yan¡¯s firstmander of the female medical team. Your imperial grandmother should greatly support her.¡±

    ¡°Chennu thanks Empress Dowager for your trust and support.¡± Zi You hurriedly curtsied. Old General Mu also followed in thanking the Empress Dowager.

    The Emperor looked at Shangguan LingRan with a smile, but that smile contained endless coldness. ¡°Ling¡¯er, your imperial grandmother is Zhen¡¯s Muhou. How can Zhen not be thinking of her? After Mu Xiaojie diagnoses your imperial grandmother, Zhen will send imperial doctors to check. Your worries are nonsensical.¡±

    ¡°Ling¡¯er is just concerned,¡± the Empress Dowager faintly said. She was apparently a little upset that her son treated her grandson like that.

    Zi You knew that Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t want her to enter the Pce. He deliberately spoke out to stop the Emperor and sway the Empress Dowager to prevent Zi You from entering the Pce.

    However, the Empress Dowager clearly did not see his real intentions. As such, the Empress Dowager not only did not raise objections, but the Emperor disliked him even more now.

    He had repeatedly helped her. She couldn¡¯t watch his circumstances get worse because of her, right? Zi You thought this and immediately secretly sent a message to Shangguan LingRan, ¡°Take care of your own business! Don¡¯t worry about me. I have ways to deal with them.¡±

    She pretended to look indignantly at Shangguan LingRan. Then she looked at the Empress Dowager and said, ¡°Please rest assured, Empress Dowager. Chennu will study more diligently and improve Chennu¡¯s medical skills. Chennu will never let you or the Emperor down or make Shizi Ye worry.¡±

 Chapter 160 Another Scheme [1]

    <h4>Chapter 160 Another Scheme [1]</h4>

    ¡°En. That¡¯s good then.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s smile had lightened by a lot. Her obviously happy mood had been destroyed. She didn¡¯t talk to the Emperor anymore, but instead stretched an arm out to Shangguan LingRan and Zi You. ¡°The banquet should start soon. Support Aijia to the banquet.¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t dare to refuse. She curtsied to the Emperor and held the Empress Dowager¡¯s left arm.

    Shangguan LingRan happily went over to hold the Empress Dowager¡¯s right arm.

    This scene stabbed the Emperor¡¯s eyes. His fists clenched and he took a deep breath before he smiled to Old General Mu. ¡°Old General Mu, let¡¯s go over too!¡±

    The banquet was held in the Jade Pce Hall. The Empress, Empress Dowager, and the womenfolk were on the left side. There was a screen in the middle. The Emperor and his subjects were on the right.

    When they arrived at the Jade Pce Hall, the Empress Dowager told Shangguan LingRan, ¡°You, your imperial uncle, and Old General Mu go over! It¡¯s enough that Aijia has You¡¯er to help.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t drink wine, imperial grandmother.¡± Shangguan LingRan spoke to the Empress Dowager like he was reminding a child. Then he looked at Zi You and said overbearingly, ¡°Hey! You take care of imperial grandmother. If someone gives her a toast, you have to drink for her. Do you hear me? If something happens to imperial grandmother, I will hold you responsible.¡±

    Zi You coolly curtsied. ¡°Yes. I will obey Shizi Ye¡¯s orders.¡± Then she didn¡¯t look at him anymore and helped the Empress Dowager go to the left banqueting hall.

    The Empress Dowager shook her head helplessly. He obviously liked her, but didn¡¯t express it. How was this good? The Empress Dowager patted Zi You¡¯s hand andforted. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry at Shizi. He actually often praises you in front of Aijia.¡±

    Zi You quickly nodded. ¡°Please rest assured, Empress Dowager. Chennu will never dare to be angry at Shizi Ye.¡±

    At this time, someone shouted, ¡°The Empress Dowager has arrived.¡±

    Zi You saw that the Empress, consorts, women, and xiaojies were gathered and talking to each other. Imperial Tutor She¡¯s female members said something that made the Empress and Taizifei smile proudly. When they saw Zi You and the Empress Dowager arrive, they were startled, as if they clearly did not expect it. They all knelt down to greet the Empress Dowager.

    Zi You walked to stand behind Nee Liu and followed everyone in greeting the Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager told everyone to get up, Zi You walked over to the Empress and knelt down again. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Empress. Chennu pays respects to Taizifei. Wishing you thousands of good fortune!¡±

    ¡°Get up.¡± The Empress looked amazed at Zi You. Sheughed in exaggeration to Taizifei. ¡°No wonder Taizi praises Mu Xiaojie for having a heavenly posture. It really is true. She manages to surpass the whole banquet hall xiaojies.¡±

    The Empress¡¯ words pushed Zi You to where the wind and waves were the strongest. Everyone¡¯s eyes filled with envy, jealousy, resentment, and even hatrednded on her. Some people even hated that they couldn¡¯te forwards and scratch Zi You¡¯s delicate goose-egg face.

    That was true especially for Shangguan Lingluo and Yu Lanxuan. Their eyes were sharper than a knife. They red at Zi You and hated that they couldn¡¯t tear her limb from limb.

    This Empress wasn¡¯t simple! One sentence garnered her a whole group of enemies. Zi You looked at everyone. Her heart was vignt, but she modestly replied, ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t dare to be praised by Empress. Flowers of four seasons each have their own charm and style. Only the peony is said to have national grace and divine fragrance and is the king of the flowers. Zi You only wishes to be peppermint to provide rity for the soldiers on the battlefield.¡±

    Her words were very clear. Each xiaojie was a flower with her own charm. The Empress was the king of flowers: a peony. She just wanted to be a medicinal herb to be useful on the battlefield. She had no desire topete with them.

    The Empress wasn¡¯t stupid. Taizifei was also not a fool. So, how could they not understand Zi You¡¯s words?

    They were originally afraid that because of her outstanding appearance, she would threaten their positions. Now that they heard her, although they didn¡¯tpletely let down their guards, they felt a lot better than when they heard the Emperor and Taizi paying her too much attention.

    At the very least, the underage girl who was already capable of causing the downfall of a country had no intentions of entering the Pce topete with them. She was already better than those vain xiaojies who wanted to be the noblest woman in the harem.

    As such, the Empress no longer made things difficult for her. Taizifei also let her off.

    The Empress Dowager now had a deeper understanding of Zi You. No wonder Ling¡¯er liked her. She was indeed different.

    Her analogy was very appropriate. Zi You really was iparable to those vulgar flowers. If she was reallypared to a flower, then she was most like an independent green lotus that could suppress everyone.

    Shangguan Lingluo saw that the Empress and Taizifei let Zi You off just like that. She was so angry that she didn¡¯t even feel any pain when her long nails pierced into her palms.

    She didn¡¯t understand how Mu Zi You could have such a good life. She had sent more than thirty top assassins, but they couldn¡¯t kill her. Instead, the thirty people died. Let¡¯s not mention how Taizi and the Emperor were mesmerized by her. But now, even the Empress Dowager, Empress, and Taizifei let Mu Zi You off even after listening to Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s provocation and dissension. This was really a headache.

    Shangguan Lingluo had been rebuked by the Empress Dowager. ¡°Lingluo, Old General Mu has made a lot of effort towards the country¡¯s peace and stability. Although Mu Zi You¡¯s mother has foreign ancestry, she had saved the lives of a lot of soldiers and reduced the casualties during the rebellion in Nanjiang.

    ¡°As a member of the imperial family, you not only didn¡¯t express your gratitude, but you actually insulted Mu Zi You¡¯s mother in front of everyone, including Mu Zi You. How can she endure it? Aren¡¯t you afraid of chilling Old General Mu¡¯s heart? You may be a Gongzhu, but you cannot be willful and do whatever you want.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo was so angry back then that she hated she couldn¡¯t go up and p the Empress Dowager. Bullsh*t! Gongzhus cannot do whatever they want, but Shizis can? Look at the way you spoil Shangguan LingRan. The only thing missing is you getting the moon in the sky for him. Now, you¡¯re here lecturing me. You¡¯re really biased!

    However, being angry was one thing. She didn¡¯t dare to say what she was really thinking. She still wanted to use the Empress Dowager to teach Mu Zi You a lesson.

    Thus, she had pretended to be docile. She had pretended to be regretful as she said, ¡°Yes, granddaughter understands imperial grandmother¡¯s reprimand. This is really granddaughter¡¯s fault. Granddaughter shouldn¡¯t have insulted Mu Xiaojie¡¯s mother, but she really angered granddaughter.

    ¡°Imperial grandmother, you don¡¯t know, but her thoughts are not simple at her young age. She dares to wear exotic clothing and exotic jewelry and parade around showing off. She wants to seduce Taizi gege and third gege. Even the paralyzed second gege is seduced by her. Granddaughter is really angry. An evildoer like her with another country¡¯s blood in her will be the gue of our imperial family!¡±

    The Empress Dowager snapped, ¡°You are a Gongzhu. Don¡¯t you know shame? You dare to say anything.¡±

    However, Shangguan Lingluo had caught the sh in the Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes. She knew that the Empress Dowager had paid attention to what she had said.

    However, why did the Empress Dowager not punish Mu Zi You when she entered the Pce today? Instead, she¡¯s holding her hand anding here with her?

    Shangguan Lingluo had also gone to fan the mes with the Empress and Taizifei. The content was basically the same, but for different subjects. ¡°Empress (Taizifei), Mu Zi You is an absolute evil spirit. Only an evil spirit can attract birds and butterflies. And only an evil spirit can make the wise Fuwang (cold and calm Taizi gege) lose his soul. When else did Fuwang (Taizi gege) have an interest in an underage little girl?¡±

    Although the Empress and Taizifei hadn¡¯t say much, the coldness and maliciousness in their eyes could not be hidden from Shangguan Lingluo.

    When Shangguan Lingluo went to the Emperor, she had wept piteously. ¡°Fuwang, Erchen is this country¡¯s Gongzhu. She actually dares to force Erchen to publicly apologize to her. Whose power is she relying on? And who gave her the courage? Fuwang, you have you stand up for Erchen. You can¡¯t let Erchen be insulted like this. This undermines Fuwang¡¯s prestige.¡±

    Fuwang hadforted her then. ¡°That Mu Zi You did indeed go overboard. Don¡¯t be sad. Fuwang will find an opportunity to censure her for you.¡±

    But he saw Mu Zi You today and not only did not censure her, but spoke pleasantly with her. He even let her be the Empress Dowager¡¯s personal doctor. When someone told her the matters in Chengguang Pce Hall, Shangguan Lingluo was so angry that she almost spat out blood.

    Since you¡¯re all like this, then don¡¯t me Bengong for being merciless. Bengong will do it myself. The cheap little wench¡¯s stepmother is right. ¡°For your Fuwang to kill her, you can only be ruthless. Little schemes won¡¯t do anything. That¡¯s because Mu Junyuan and Mu YingYi ,who hold military power in their hands, are behind the little cheap wench. Only if your Fuwang¡¯s trust in them is shaken would Mu Zi You not have a strong backer to rely on. Then it would be a lot easier for you to take care of her.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo revealed an insidious smile. She secretly stretched out her little finger to her first-rank pce maid Cailing.

    Cailing secretly retreated and came to a rockery with no one around. She pped her hands and a guard quickly appeared. Cailing whispered some words and the guard quickly shed and disappeared. Cailing looked around and quietly returned to the Jade Pce Hall.

    It seemed that no one noticed this. The banquet had begun in the Jade Pce Hall. Cups clinked and everyone wished each other good fortune. Everything seemed peaceful and all the evil schemes seemed to be hidden.

    Zi You¡¯s three sworn sisters came over to celebrate the New Year with her. She said to Ji Bingyu, ¡°I congratte second jiejie on a good match.¡±

    Before the New Year, Ji Bingyu had been engaged to Right Minister¡¯s second Di grandson, Xia Ruoqing¡¯s second brother, Xia Ruochen. As a good friend and sister, Zi You naturally had to congratte her.

    Ji Bingyu¡¯s pretty face turned red. She red bashfully at Zi You. She said cutely, ¡°When did you learn to be so glib? Wait until you get engaged. See how I willugh at you then.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not being glib.¡± Zi You clutched her small cherry mouth. She smiled like flowers blooming. ¡°It¡¯s a sincere blessing. My second jiejie¡¯s fianc¨¦ is such a talent. What else is it if not a good match?¡±

    Ji Bingyu was very happy. Her shy smile was sweet, making her look charming and moving.

    She was wearing rose red silk gold-embroidered magnolia coat, with a white fox fur cor. She was wearing the same color phoenix tailed dress. Her hair was in a Duoma bun. She was charming, but leisure. Her matching pearl essories made her look noble and gorgeous.

    Zi You then looked at Xia Ruoqing. Xia Ruoqing was wearing a light purple hibiscus-flowered-iid gray mink fur damask coat. Her Duoma bun was inserted with a gold iid ruby peony-patterned hairpin. She looked very delicate.

    She was only four months younger than Ji Bingyu. She would probably be engaged this year.

    Zi You smiled and said to Xia Ruoqing, ¡°It should be third jiejie¡¯s turn soon. Meimei wishes that third jiejie will get a good match soon!¡±

    ¡°You little yatou!¡± Xia Ruoqing¡¯s face was red. She pretended to hit Zi You.

    But Liu Ruixue smiled and stopped her. ¡°Fourth meimei is right. It should be your turn soon. You¡¯ll be fourteen this October, right......?¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious.¡± Liu Ruixue had not finished, but Zi You smiled and interrupted her. ¡°Okay, big jiejie. We all know that you¡¯re about to marry soon. You don¡¯t need to remind us.¡±

    Since she had been to Duke Anguo fu and saw Liu Ruixue, they had not had any other contact. She had invited Zi You over, but Zi You had refused because using being busy as an excuse.

    Li Ruixue clearly detected her indifference. Thus, when she saw Zi You today, she had been amiable. Zi You could not alienate her, so she teased her.

    For a time, the four of themughed and chatted.

    Liu Ruixue was the most attractively-dressed today. Yellow bamboo buds sprinkled on a gold coat. She had on a silvery red pleated dress. There was auspicious golden locket on her chest. Her nine-ringed gold ne was adorned with twelve ss beads. She looked like very dazzling, like a red cloud.

    She couldn¡¯t be med for dressing that way. In less than four months, she was about to marry Taizi and be his cefei. She could never wear red again, unless she became Empress in the future. Otherwise, she had to say goodbye to bright red for the rest of her life.

    [Bright red color can only be worn by main wives after marriage or Zhengfeis, in this case.]

    Zi You thought of Taizi and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s matter and nced sympathetically at Liu Ruixue. Then she looked at Shangguan Lingluo, who had constantly been sending her knife-like sharp gazes. Zi You faintly smiled and lightly curtsied.

 Chapter 161 Another Scheme [2]

    <h4>Chapter 161 Another Scheme [2]</h4>

    No emotion could be seen from Zi You¡¯s actions. If anyone saw it, he would only think that she was being polite and respectful. No ws could be picked out.

    But Shangguan Lingluo felt that Zi You¡¯s eyes were filled with ridicule and despised Zi You to the extreme.

    Shangguan Lingluo hated that she couldn¡¯t go forwards, scratch her beautiful face that was capable of causing the downfall of a country, and gouge out her beautiful pair of eyes. She even started to move.

    But she thought about her perfect n and revealed a light smile.

    But this smile contained boundless hatred, making Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s beautiful face look strange. She looked terrifying, like a vampire.

    Her scary smile had not disappeared even after she walked over to Zi You.

    She picked up a wine jug from a pce maid. She said apologetically, ¡°Mu Xiaojie, it was Bengong¡¯s fault before. Bengong is apologizing to you now. After this cup of wine, shall be friends?¡±

    Zi You faintly smiled as she looked at her, as if trying to see through her.

    Those deep eyes were like a transparentke, as if they wanted to wash her dirty mind clean.

    Shangguan Lingluo felt a bit ufortable. The hand holding the silver jug of wine trembled.

    Just as she was feeling uneasy, Zi You suddenly smiled brilliantly. ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t dare. Fourth Gongzhu is giving Chennu so much face. How can Chennu dare to disobey?¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo secretly released a sigh of relief. She handed a cup of wine over. ¡°Then, please drink this cup of wine, Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    Zi You took the cup and smiled at Shangguan Lingluo. ¡°Then Fourth Gongzhu should have a cup and drink with Chennu too.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shangguan Lingluo smiled from the heart this time. She poured herself a cup of wine from the jug and raised it in front of Zi You.

    Zi You clinked her cup against it. She drank all the wine in one gulp. When she finished, she lifted the cup for her to see. ¡°Chennu has drunk it all.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo saw this and drank her cup of wine too.

    They seemed to have dissolved their hatred with two cups of wine. It looked like Fourth Gongzhu was ready to make peace with Mu Zi You.

    For a time, everyone thought that Fourth Gongzhu had changed her personality and wasn¡¯t as vindictive as she used to be.

    After the banquet ended, everyone moved around freely. Actually, it was the time for every fu¡¯s blind dates for unmarried males and females.

    Second Wangzi sat in his wheelchair and looked at Zi You, forcefully suppressing his desire to go over and talk to her.

    Zi You was wearing a blue-colored silk long dress embroidered with green branches and plum blossoms. The blue dress rippled at her feet like a blossoming lotus. She stood out among brilliant purples and reds, making the heavens and earth lose their colors.

    She had such a beautiful and refined appearance, but this seemingly delicate and slender girl was actually stronger than a man. When he was performing physical exercises, he was in so much pain that he almost couldn¡¯t move anymore, she woulde over to whip him with words.

    ¡°If you want to sit in a wheelchair for a lifetime, then you can give up. I already said that I got rid the gu. Whether you can stand up or not depends on your perseverance. Think about all the injustices that you have suffered in the past five years. Are you willing to stay paralyzed in this wheelchair forever?

    ¡°Shangguan Boyu, don¡¯t make me look down on you! You are a man, but you can¡¯t evenpare to a little girl like me? Do you know how many silver needles I ce on myself every day to learn medicine? Do you know how many blisters I have on my feet when I strap sandbags on my legs and climb up mountains to learn qinggong? Do you know how swollen my calves are? Everything I have is obtained through sweat and hard work.¡±

    Yes, he could not have her looking down on him. If Second Wangzi worked hard because he wanted revenge in the beginning, then at this moment, he wanted to seed and stand up to prove to her that he was strong. He was strong enough to be worthy of her.

    Second Wangzi was sneaking nces at Zi You, while Taizi and Third Wangzi were looking at her too. Only, their nces weren¡¯t as hidden as Second Wangzi¡¯s. They walked over majestically and approached her.

    Fortunately, Zi You was not with Liu Ruixue and her other two sworn sisters. Otherwise, how awkward would it be? How sad would Liu Ruixue be?

    Zi You looked at Taizi and couldn¡¯t help but be indignant on Liu Ruixue¡¯s behalf.

    Taizi was wearing light yellow brocade robes. They were decorated with a silvery green embroidered auspicious dragon motif on the sides. His ck hair had an amber cat eye¡¯s jewel hairpin in it. His belt around his waist was of the same pattern. He had a soft white ermine satin cloak draped over him. He looked like an elegant and noble gongzi. He was so noble that people didn¡¯t dare to look up at him.

    Unlike the Emperor, the dragon on his body had four ws: one less w than the Emperor¡¯s five wed-dragon.

    Third Wangzi was wearing a purple robe. His waist was tied with the same colored gold edgedd ribbon. His ck hair was bundled into a gilt crown. His slender body was straight. He was handsome and revealed his inherent nobility.

    It should be said that the Shangguan family¡¯s genes were very good. Xuanwu Emperor was not bad-looking. An Wang was also said to be very handsome. Otherwise, Shangguan LingRan wouldn¡¯t look like such an evildoer.

    Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi were handsome men, but Second Wangzi looked more exquisite.

    Their temperaments were all different, however. If Taizi was warm like jade, then Third Wangzi was like spring who brought a warmth to everyone. Second Wangzi was like a solitary moon, exuding coldness and loneliness.

    But no matter how outstanding they were, they could not cause a ripple in Zi You¡¯s heart.

    Zi You provided treatment to Second Wangzi because she thought of him like a chess piece to use against Taizi and Third Wangzi.

    Only that shameless evildoer...... Zi You didn¡¯t know why she suddenly thought of Shangguan LingRan. She looked towards his direction before ncing away.

    Shangguan LingRan was surrounded by several gongzis and xiaojies. But he seemed to have a connection with Zi You. His devilishly charming phoenix eyes also looked quietly at her.

    Their eyes collided, making their hearts jump crazily!

    Zi You immediately turned her head. Her face turned slightly red.

    Shangguan LingRan smiled pleasantly, in a good mood. This smile made him seem more devilishly charming!

    He was wearing ake blue embroidered silver robe. There was a deep blue jade-embellished belt around his waist. A blue-edged white embroidered pouch with auspicious clouds on it hung from his belt. It was garnished with shiny blue tourmaline beads. His raven-ck hair was loosely gathered with a jade crown. The glow from thenterns ted his handsome face with ayer of gold and softened his facial features.

    If someone did not see the devilish charm in his phoenix eyes, he would look just like a refined gongzi. However, his eyes were too wicked. One nce at them and no one would think him as a gentleman.

    But even so, a lot of xiaojies flew over to him in droves. After all, his appearance and An Wang Shizifei¡¯s identity were too tempting. There was also the Empress Dowager¡¯s insurmountable doting on him.

    Yu Meilian had been slighted by him once, but still didn¡¯t give up. She dragged Minister of War¡¯s Di granddaughter Ke Yuner over.

    The person Ke Yuner wanted to marry was Ming Wang Shizi Shangguan Weiran. Although Shangguan Weiran was as ¡°notorious¡± as his tangdi [younger male patrilineal cousin] Shangguan LingRan, he was also handsome. Although he did not look as much like an evildoer as Shangguan LingRan, he did not lose out to Taizi and Third Wangzi.

    The key point was that Shangguan Weiran had yet to be engaged. He was already seventeen years old and didn¡¯t have a Shizifei. Taizi and Third Wangzi were good, but one had a Zhengfei and cefei and the other had a Zhengfei candidate already. Ke Yuner was the Di granddaughter of a first-rank official. She did not want to be a cefei. She wanted to be a Zhengfei.

    Shangguan Weiran was romantic, but not lecherous. He had many female confidantes, but he never brought them back to the Wang fu. This was thanks to his father, Ming Wang. Ming Wang was not the Emperor¡¯s direct brother, but he was very trusted by the Emperor. He was in charge of the Imperial Household Department. He was very good at doing business and the wealthiest out of the Emperor¡¯s brothers.

    Moreover, Ming Wang was very upright. He had one Zhengfei and one cefei. There were no other women in his fu. He was considered a good man in the capital¡¯s high society.

    Zhengfei had no children. Shangguan Weiran and his sister, fourteen-year-old Mingxia Junzhu [daughter of imperial rtives] were born from cefei Nee Wu.

    It was said that Ming Wang was really fond of Zhengfei Nee Li. But she had a congenital heart disease and couldn¡¯t give birth, so Ming Wang reluctantly married Nee Wu. After Nee Wu gave birth to two children, Ming Wang had never favored her again. He also put Nee Wu¡¯s children under Zhengfei Nee Li¡¯s name to raise.

    Shangguan Weiran did not know that his birth mother was Nee Wu. He used to ridicule and insult her. Heter learned that Nee Wu was his birth mother. From then on, his personality had changed and he started to turn bad.

    This Nee Li was the Empress¡¯ mother¡¯s niece: Duke Weiguo¡¯s Di eldest daughter.

    The Empress¡¯ aunt married Duke Weiguo, the person who had arrived first at the Pce gate, but did not enter the Pce first.

    The thing that Ke Yuner liked was the simple environment in Ming Wang fu. Shangguan Weiran was dissolute, but which young man wasn¡¯t dissolute?

    But he had no brothers topete over property with him. He also had no mother-inw for her to serve. This was something that other fus did not have.

    The other ¡°Four Tyrants¡± of the capital, disregarding the Emperor¡¯s favored consort Li Pin¡¯s brother Wei Mingrui, had a weak family background. His father was just an Assistant Minister of Appointments. The other three¡¯s family backgrounds were not weak.

    Duke Yongguo Shizi, Zhu Likang¡¯s father, was one of the five dukes of Great Yan. Duke Yongguo was the Emperor¡¯s son-inw and was married to the Emperor¡¯s eldest sister, Chuyang Gongzhu.

    Such an aristocratic gongzi with good looks and could paint, even if he was useless in everything, he would still cause some vain women¡¯s adoration.

 Chapter 162 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [1]

    <h4>Chapter 162 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [1]</h4>

    And Wei Mingrui¡¯s father Wei Kangcheng was just a second-rank Assistant Minister of Appointments. But his sister Wei Lijuan was one of the Emperor¡¯s current most favored consorts.

    It was said that because of her outstanding appearance, when she first entered the Pce, the Emperor flipped her green tablet* sixteen days in a row, even breaking Wan Meiran¡¯s record of twelve days in a row when she entered the Pce.

    *[How Emperors chose who to sleep with that night.]

    Even Wei Kangcheng rose two ranks from a third-rank General Department official to a first-rank Assistant Minister of Appointments because of his daughter¡¯s blessing.

    So, the current situation was that none of the ¡°Four Tyrants¡± had a Zhengfei or main wife. Even their engagements were not finalized yet.

    In short, the women whom they liked didn¡¯t necessarily like them and they did not like certain women who like them. ¡°Can¡¯t match high, but the lowes¡± summed up the current marital status of the Four Tyrants.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at the love-struck fools and suddenly smiled devilishly. He originally looked devilishly charming. Now that he smiled, he was even more unspeakably charming, making Yu Meilian stare straight at him.

    Love-struck fool! Shangguan LingRan was even more contemptuous towards her, but smiled tenderly at her.

    He had never shown a pleasant expression to Yu Meilian before. This really made Yu Meilian overjoyed today. She looked at Shangguan LingRan and felt that her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

    Shangguan LingRan smiled to his gang of friends andzily smiled. ¡°You chat. This Shizi will go check on imperial grandmother. I don¡¯t know if that olddy is drunk yet.¡±

    Then he turned to leave. Yu Meilian was as if she had lost her soul. She followed Shangguan LingRan and even threw Ke Yuner to the side.

    Almost everyone saw this. They were all contemptuous to the extreme. They thought that she was really shameless. She could even do such an improper and shameless thing.

    Shangguan LingRan walked in the front as Yu Meilian followed behind. She stared at that upright and handsome posture in front of her as if everything in the world didn¡¯t exist. There was only that moving back between heaven and earth.

    That was until Shangguan LingRan suddenly stopped and turned to look at her. She was shocked and bent her head in shyness and panic.

    Shangguan LingRan walked over to her. He wasn¡¯t like he was in the past and ignored or mocked her. Instead, he said gently, ¡°Yu Xiaojie, would you like to go with me to see imperial grandmother?¡±

    Of course she would! Yu Meilian shyly nodded. She didn¡¯t even think about it and followed Shangguan LingRan.

    Zi You saw this from the garden and curtsied to Taizi and Third Wangzi. She said softly, ¡°Chennu just drank too much. Chennu is feeling a little dizzy and wants to find a ce to rest.¡±

    ¡°Let me show you.¡± Taizi had not spoke before Third Wangzi immediately interrupted Zi You. He kindly acted like a guardian angel. ¡°You don¡¯te to the Pce often, so I¡¯ll take you to Ronghua Pce Hall. That is where important guests rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also a bit dizzy too.¡± Taizi quickly and elegantly smiled. ¡°Third brother doesn¡¯t need to specially make this trip. I¡¯ll send Mu Xiaojie there. It¡¯s on the way.¡±

    Third Wangzi immediately became displeased. He sneered at Taizi. ¡°Taizi gege is really interesting. Everything of mine, you......¡±

    ¡°Third Wangzi!¡± Zi You immediately smiled as she interrupted Third Wangzi¡¯s words. ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, why don¡¯t youe with us to Ronghua Pce Hall too? Let¡¯s see if there are any other gongzis or xiaojies there. After a rest, maybe we can have a kickball game.¡±

    Third Wangzi¡¯s face had sunk, but it rose back up after hearing Zi You¡¯s words. He looked triumphantly at Taizi and replied. ¡°Okay. I haven¡¯t yed it in a long time. You¡¯er likes ying kickball? Let¡¯s be on the same teamter.¡±

    Taizi seemed to have made up his mind not to let Zi You and Third Wangzi be alone together. He also quickly echoed. ¡°After You¡¯er¡¯s words, I really do want to y now. But this sport is too intense. You¡¯er, you have to hide behind meter and don¡¯t get hit by the ball.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zi You answered particrly easily. ¡°Then we three will be on a team together and win. Taizi, you should give out a prize. That way, it will be even more fun.¡±

    Zi You really seemed to have drunk too much today. Her usual coldness was gone. She smiled brightly and revealed some charms of a cute girl. She was already beautiful, but now her eyes shone, revealing some drunken mistiness. She was a different kind of breathtaking beauty now.

    Taizi and Third Wangzi left with her. Not only was Third Wangzi¡¯s prospective wife Wen Chuyan angry and jealous, but Shangguan Lingluo also exploded. She broke off a fingernail and gave it to her pce maid Cailing. She whispered and said, ¡°Give this to Taizi. Tell him that I¡¯m waiting for him at Yaohua Pce.¡±

    Yaohua Pce was Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s pce. It was the closest to the Empress¡¯ Fengming Pce. After Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s Mufei passed away, the Empress had treated Shangguan Lingluo and her brother as her own children. However, only the Empress knew how much real emotion there was.

    In short, the Empress¡¯ own daughter Second Gongzhu had once scolded Shangguan Lingluo. ¡°Bah! What do you think you are? Muhou just can¡¯t bear for you to be insulted by others, so she brought you over to raise. Do you really think that you are Muhou¡¯s biological child? You have to fight with me over everything. So annoying!¡±

    Second Gongzhu Shangguan Yunluo was sixteen years old. She was already married to one of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s, one of the five great dukes, sons: Teng Yixuan. Teng Yixuan was neen years old. He came third in the imperial examination and had a bright future, but Second Gongzhu had fallen in love with him. He could only helplessly dissolve the engagement with Marquis Wuan¡¯s Di daughter, Bai Hanyan, marry the Gongzhu, and end his officialdom path. There was a rule in Great Yan that the Emperor¡¯s son-inw could not hold an official position. It was established by the previous Emperor and no one could defy it.

    Second Gongzhu and Shangguan Lingluo did not get along. Zi You smiled craftily and asked Taizi, ¡°Taizi, where¡¯s Second Gongzhu? Chennu heard that Second Gongzhu ys kickball very well. Chennu really wants to learn from her!¡±

    Since someone had praised his sister and it was exactly the person whom he wanted to please, a charming smile immediately appeared on Taizi¡¯s handsome face. He turned to Eunuch Lin. ¡°Go to Ronghua Pce Hall and invite Second Gongzhu over. Tell her that this Taizi is looking for her.¡±

    Because Taizi frequently took Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s side, his biological sister Second Gongzhu had long misunderstood him. Taizi was not sad about it, but Second Gongzhu¡¯s inws were Duke Dingguo fu. Taizi really wanted to bury the hatchet with her and fix their rtionship. After all, it was better for a hundred-year-old family to support him rather than have them as an enemy.

    Perhaps because of Mu Zi You, he might fix the rtionship with his sister today. As such, Mu Zi You was really more useful to him than Shangguan Lingluo.

    Shangguan Lingluo was really bing more and more arrogant. Just because she spoke some nice things about him in front of Fuwang, she was bing more willful.

    You¡¯er was better. If she became his woman, not only would he get Old General Mu¡¯s support, but he could patch things up with his sister and get Duke Dingguo fu¡¯s help. Muhou would also be happy. This was really killing multiple birds with one stone.

    Ronghua Pce Hall was not far from the Jade Pce Hall. It didn¡¯t take more than a quarter of an hour to get there. Taizi, Third Wangzi, and Zi You walked there with pce servants. In a short time, their group increased in size and some gongzis and xiaojies were added.

    They heard that they would have a kickball match after taking a rest and everyone was interested. Zi You looked around. Among these people, there was Ke Yunfeng, Ke Yuner¡¯s brother. There was also Minister of Revenue¡¯s Di son, Yu Meilian¡¯s brother, Yu Maorui; Duke Weiguo¡¯s grandson, Li Huafeng; Assistant Minister of War¡¯s daughter, Yin Xiaoxia; and Wei Mingrui and favored consort Li Pin¡¯s sister, Wei Yajuan.

    Zi You¡¯s three sworn sisters wouldn¡¯t there. She didn¡¯t know whether Liu Ruixue would be jealous seeing Taizi hovering around her. Zi You had pretended to be drunk as an excuse to leave them, but now she was with Taizi and Third Wangzi. She hoped that Liu Ruixue wouldn¡¯t misunderstand.

    When they arrived at Ronghua Pce Hall, Zi You then discovered that it was divided into four chambers. Tables, chairs, and beds were ced in each chamber. It looked like this ce was really for guests to rest here.

    On the way here, Zi You had been chatting with Wei Yajuan and Yin Xiaoxia. They were envious of, but also admired Zi You. After all, in half a year, she had made that arrogant and domineering Fourth Gongzhu suffer a loss, but also had the Emperor personally summon her and confer her as the firstmander of a female medical team in the throne room. Great Yan had never had a precedent for a female official before.

    Zi You, Wei Yajuan, and Yin Xiaoxia rested for a quarter of an hour. Zi You suggested, ¡°I seem to have smelled plum blossoms when we walked in here. Are there plum blossoms here? Do you want to admire plum blossoms?¡±

    ¡°Okay! I also like plum blossoms, especially wintersweets.¡± Yin Xiaoxia was very lively. She was only two months older than Zi You. She immediately agreed to Zi You¡¯s suggestion and the three girls left the chamber.

    They pushed the door open and encountered Third Wangzi and the other gongzis. There was also a young woman with a high bun, wearing a red gold hairpin divided with phoenixes with beads in their mouths. She was wearing a red coat embroidered with gold and silver peonies and a honey-colored sable satin dress.

    Zi You saw that her face was 40% simr to the Empress¡¯. She immediately walked over to curtsy. She slightly smiled and said, ¡°Chennu pays respects to Second Gongzhu. Wishing Second Gongzhu good fortune!¡±

 Chapter 163 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [2]

    <h4>Chapter 163 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [2]</h4>

    Because of her miscarriage, Second Gongzhu had not been able to attend the gatherings that Zi You had attended. So, she did not recognize Zi You.

    After a girl who was beautiful enough to confuse all living beings curtsy to her, she immediately asked Third Wangzi curiously, ¡°Third brother, who is this beautiful xiaojie? Howe Bengong has never seen her before?¡±

    Third Wangzi immediately replied, ¡°She is Mu Zi You, Old General Mu¡¯s Di granddaughter.¡±

    So, it was the little girl who made Shangguan Lingluo eat a loss. Second Gongzhu¡¯s original arrogant and contemptuous expression immediately changed. She chuckled and said, ¡°Oh! You¡¯re the Mu Xiaojie who made Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s dress fall down. No wonder you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t dare.¡± Zi You smiled modestly. She began to fawn over Second Gongzhu. ¡°Second Gongzhu is a peony of national grace and divine fragrance. Chennu has long heard of and wanted to see Second Gongzhu.¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± Everyone wanted to hear pleasant things. Second Gongzhu was not an exception. Sheughed beautifully. ¡°You¡¯re really so loveable with your little mouth! You had Taizi call Bengong here, right?¡±

    Zi You immediately smiled in embarrassment. ¡°How can Chennu order Taizi around? Taizi saw that Chennu admired his imperial sister, so he called you here. Taizi is proud to have a sister like you!¡±

    She then seemed to notice that Taizi wasn¡¯t there. She pretended to ask in concern, ¡°Where is Taizi? Did he really get drunk?¡±

    ¡°Taizi gege was called away by fourth sister¡¯s pce maid.¡± Third Wangzi said with ridicule and jealously as he coldly replied.

    ¡°Oh......¡± Zi You pretended to suddenly realize. She said jealously, ¡°Fourth Gongzhu is really blessed. She has such a good brother like Taizi caring about her. Ah! How envious!¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡± Ke Yunfengughed. ¡°It¡¯s easy if Mu Xiaojie wants a brother. Make an appeal and many people will be willing to act as a guardian angel.¡±

    His words were frivolous. Zi You was displeased and simply ignored him.

    At this time, the plum blossom grove was in front of them. There really wererge plum blossom trees in front of Ronghua Pce Hall. There were not only wintersweets, but more than 200 other varieties of plum blossoms.

    Suddenly, Zi You put up her right index finger and made a ¡°shush¡± sound. ¡°...... Hmm? It looks like someone is already in the plum blossom grove.¡±

    The other people also pricked up their ears. They really heard faint conversationing from the plum blossom grove. They seemed to be a man and a woman.

    Zi You took the lead and lightly walked towards the plum blossom grove. The others crept behind her. Now, they could hear very clearly. The man¡¯s voice was hoarse, with an indescribable charm. ¡°Do you dislike Mu Zi You? I often see you ring at her. Do you have a grudge against her?¡±

    ¡°What grudge can I have against her?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was sweet; so sweet that it could kill someone. ¡°I was just standing up for Fourth Gongzhu. That darned yatou is too arrogant. She forced a dignified Gongzhu to apologize to her. Isn¡¯t Shizi Ye very angry too?¡±

    ¡°En. That darned yatou is really annoying.¡± The man¡¯szy voice sounded. ¡°Fourth meimei is too silly though. She has topete with that yatou in whatever talent contest. If it was me, I would have dragged her over and pped her ugly face a few times until her teeth scatter to the ground.¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± The womanughed nonstop. Everyone seemed to be able to see herughing beautifully. But her words were arrogant and venomous, making people turn cold. ¡°Shizi Ye, you think that everyone can be as willful as you? Even if Fourth Gongzhu is doted on by the Emperor, she still cannot beat up the Di granddaughter of the pir of the country, Old General Mu.

    ¡°But with Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s vengeful personality, do you think that she will let Mu Zi You off? Didn¡¯t you hear that Mu Zi You was almost killed when she was hunting in the mountains? That was done by Fourth Gongzhu.¡±

    ¡°En!¡± At this time, everyone standing with Zi You, including Third Wangzi all looked at Zi You in shock.

    Zi You¡¯s little face suddenly turned white. Her body shivered like autumn leaves in the wind. She rushed towards the plum blossom grove regardless of everything.

    The others were afraid that something would happen, so they quickly walked into the depths of the plum blossom grove. The man and woman were actually Yu Meilian and Shangguan LingRan.

    Shangguan LingRan was in a better position. There was a guard and eunuch next to him. But Yu Meilian didn¡¯t even have a maidservant around her. She stood there under a plum blossom tree and looked affectionately at Shangguan LingRan, who was leaningzily against a plum blossom tree and smiling devilishly and charmingly.

    Zi You walked over to Yu Meilian. It was as if her body was covered with frost. She enunciated coldly, ¡°How do you know that it was Fourth Gongzhu who sent someone to assassinate me?¡±

    Yu Meilian suddenly saw so many people appear in the plum blossom grove and was stunned silly. She looked disbelievingly at Zi You and was tongue-tied. ¡°I...... What did you say? When did I say that...... Say that Fourth Gongzhu sent...... Sent people to assassinate you?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s face turned even colder. She suddenly turned around and looked at Third Wangzi and the other people who came here with her. Her deep spring-like eyes slowly became misty. The gradual mist condensed into two crystal clear beads of tears that hung on her butterfly-like eyshes. She slowly turned to Third Wangzi. Her beautiful eyes were like a deep pool, as if they wanted to suck him inside. She sighed with grievance as she asked, ¡°Third Wangzi, you heard it, right?¡±

    Then she turned to Second Gongzhu, ¡°Second Gongzhu, you also heard too right?¡±

    Second Gongzhu immediately nodded. She sneered nonstop in her heart. Shangguan Lingluo, you keep stealing my things. Today, I want you to give them all back.

    Third Wangzi saw Zi You like this and his heart couldn¡¯t help but pain. It was the first time that he had seen such a weak and helpless Zi You.

    After his heartache, he felt as if his soul was captured and he nodded. ¡°Yes, Benwangzi heard it. We all heard it.¡±

    He turned and looked at the three men and two women who hade along. His voice contained an implied threat as he asked, ¡°You heard too, right?¡±

    How could they not hear a voice that loud? Third Wangzi had already confirmed it. If they denied it, they would offend not only Mu Zi You, but also Third Wangzi.

    But if they testified, they would certainly offend Fourth Gongzhu, Yu Meilian, and Shangguan LingRan. There was also Yu Maorui, Yu Meilian¡¯s brother, who especially who wanted to help his sister.

    The five people looked at each other. Just when they were in a difficult spot, Shangguan LingRan huffily blocked in front of Yu Meilian. He shouted at Zi You, ¡°So what if you heard it? It wasn¡¯t Yu Xiaojie who sent someone to kill you. Why are you being fierce to her? If you have the ability, go find Fourth Gongzhu and don¡¯t bully Yu Xiaojie, okay?¡±

    Yu Meilian saw that Shangguan LingRan was helping her and was suddenly excited. Her brain was warm and her rationality was gone. She also shouted at Zi You, ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me. I...... I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± I just helped send a letter. Of course, even if she died, she couldn¡¯t say thest sentence out loud.

    Her brother Yu Maorui secretly cried out, ¡®This is bad!¡¯

    Wasn¡¯t she telling everything that this matter was done by Shangguan Lingluo then? It would be strange if Shangguan Lingluo would let his sister off!

    Yu Maorui was anxious. He went over and pped Yu Meilian. He angrily shouted, ¡°You¡¯re still not going back?¡±

    Zi You coldly smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. She rubbed her eyes and started walking out of the plum blossom grove.

    ¡°You¡¯er!¡± Third Wangzi quickly followed her. ¡°Where are you going? Don¡¯t go find fourth meimei. She will hurt you if she goes crazy. Hey!¡±

    He chased after Zi You while he anxiously ordered his eunuch Xiao Yuanzi, ¡°Hurry and tell Fuwang and Old General Mu that Mu Xiaojie will get into a fight. Hurry and go! Benwangzi is afraid that something will happen.¡±

    These wangzis¡¯ attendants were experienced people just like their masters. Xiao Yuanzi nodded and immediately understood what he should do.

    Thus, he ran to find the Emperor and Old General Mu.

    Actually, Third Wangzi was extremely happy. Shangguan Lingluo belonged to Taizi and the Empress¡¯ camp. Her words and deeds could not represent the Empress or Taizi, but she could not get rid of the rtionship with Taizi and the Empress. At the very least, there would be a charge of failure to discipline. And Third Wangzi would greatly benefit if Old General Mu became dissatisfied with Taizi and the Empress.

    Third Wangzi had countless thoughts in the blink of an eye. He immediately caught up and whispered to Zi You, ¡°You¡¯er, where are you going? Are you looking for Fuwang or fourth meimei? Fourth meimei is with Taizi gege in Yaohua Pce. Fuwang and the officials are......¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to disturb the Emperor. This is something between Chennu and Fourth Gongzhu.......¡± He didn¡¯t finish speaking before Zi You coldly interrupted him. ¡°Chennu just wants to ask Fourth Gongzhu how she can send someone to kill Chennu but make friends with Chennu at the same time. Chennu just wants to know if Yu Xiaojie spoke the truth.¡±

    Go! Go ask! It¡¯s better to make the situation as big as possible! Second Gongzhu and Third Wangzi shouted in their hearts.

    But they looked worried on the surface. Third Wangzi pretended to be worried and said, ¡°You¡¯er, fourth meimei is spoiled rotten by Taizi and Muhou. If you go find her, I¡¯m afraid that she will hurt you. Or wait for Fuwang or Old General Mu toe. I already sent someone to inform them.¡±

    Second Gongzhu¡¯s words were provoking. ¡°You¡¯er, why don¡¯t you forget about it? That darned yatou is undisciplined and out of control! She doesn¡¯t even put me in her eyes.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Zi You looked fearlessly at Third Wangzi. ¡°Even an imperial rtive needs to abide with the country¡¯sws. Can she kill someone for no reason? Chennu doesn¡¯t believe that Fourth Gongzhu can hide the truth from the masses!¡±

 Chapter 164 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [3]

    <h4>Chapter 164 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [3]</h4>

    Zi You was fearless. She walked firmly and elegantly. But her slightly trembling shoulders and lonely and straight back made people feel sympathy for her.

    Third Wangzi hurriedly stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way. This isn¡¯t the way to Yaohua Pce. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Third Wangzi.¡± Zi You showed off some weakness. Her bright jewel-like eyes turned misty and she looked gratefully at Third Wangzi, as if she thought that he was a most reliable person.

    Those eyes! Third Wangzi¡¯s heart shook. Deep pity rushed forwards. He hated that he couldn¡¯t immediately embrace her in his arms and softlyfort her.

    He immediately wanted to act like a guardian angel. He left everything behind and soon led Zi You to Yaohua Pce.

    Second Gongzhu smiled ferociously and followed along.

    Earlier, Shangguan Lingluo was already exploding with anger when she saw Taizi and Third Wangzi surrounding Zi You. She had returned to Yaohua Pce. Before she could vent her anger, she felt a strange restlessness in her body. It was a familiar feeling that spread throughout her body.

    She was slightly shocked. She shook her head in disbelief. It couldn¡¯t be! The cup of wine with the aphrodisiac in it was clearly drunk by Mu Zi You. So why did she feel ufortable as if she had drunk the aphrodisiac?

    No one knew that the silver jug was especially made. It was filled with two kinds of wine. Aphrodisiac was added to one wine, while it wasn¡¯t added to the other. When she pressed the mechanism, Zi You was poured the wine with the aphrodisiac and hers was the one without anything added. Did she make a mistake in her panic?

    Even if Shangguan Lingluo was beaten to death, she would not believe that Zi You had seen through her malicious thoughts. Zi You did indeed drink the cup of wine with the aphrodisiac in it, but she had spit out the wine into her handkerchief when she wiped her mouth. And during the time when the cups clinked together, Zi You¡¯s nail moved and something was added inside Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s cup. Zi You had even perfectly calcted the timing for the aphrodisiac to take effect.

    Zi You looked at Yaohua Pce and secretly sneered. Was Shangguan Lingluo tangling with her Taizi gege right now?

    As Zi You had guessed, Shangguan Lingluo was currently entangling with Taizi. Taizi had heard Cailing say, ¡°It¡¯s unclear what is going on with Fourth Gongzhu. Fourth Gongzhu felt unwell since the banquet. Fourth Gongzhu is inviting Taizi over.¡±

    Taizi had refused. ¡°If she¡¯s feeling unwell, go find a doctor. This Taizi is not a doctor. What¡¯s the use of going to see her?¡±

    But when Cailing secretly gave Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s broken nail to him, Taizi¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Shangguan Lingluo cherished her hair and nails the most. The love was almost perverted. If a pce maidbed out one hair, she would directly have someone flog her to death. Shangguan Lingluo also wore nail sheaths to protect her nails.

    Now that she broke her nail, it was telling him that he must go over. She really was bing more clingy and annoying! Thus, Taizi had angrily gone to Yaohua Pce.

    Shangguan Lingluo had rushed over to him and tightly hugged him as soon as she saw him. She choked out, ¡°Taizi gege, my heart really...... really hurts. Don¡¯t...... Don¡¯t marry Mu Zi You as cefei. I hate her...... Hate her!¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Taizi was furious. ¡°You called me over for this? Do you know that you¡¯ve ruined my affairs? If I don¡¯t marry her as a cefei, then Third Wangzi will take her away. Then I will lose the support of Old General Mu, who holds the military power in his hands. Do you understand?¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo heard Taizi say this and it felt like millions of knives were stabbing her heart. She understood Shangguan Pengxuan all too well. If it was just for Old General Mu¡¯s military power, then why wasn¡¯t he this zealous when Mu Zi You was a nobody? Men always preferred new over the old. They always loved young and beautiful women.

    She was not old or reached marriageable age yet, but she had been with Taizi for a year. Compared to the flower bud Mu Zi You, she was an old and a wilting flower.

    Shangguan Lingluo had originally wanted to persuade Taizi to change his mind. But that numb sensation in her body already had her moaning.

    She should first vent this unspeakable sensation first. Her heart shook. Her hands lifted Taizi¡¯s robes and went towards his lower abdomen......

    Her round and hot mounds had pressed against Taizi¡¯s back. Taizi was already thirsty. Now, a pair of hands was pressing against his most sensitive ce. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, his lower body began to stir.

    Taizi looked anxiously around and suppressed his restlessness. He lowly censured, ¡°Are you crazy?! It¡¯s broad daylight. Fuwang is entertaining the officials and their families. You and I are finished if we¡¯re caught.¡±

    ¡°No, I have the pce servants standing guard...... I want you......¡± Shangguan Lingluo had already lost her mind due to her burning desire. She stuck her tongue out and licked his throat. She was obviously clear on what to do and touched Taizi¡¯s sensitive areas.

    Taizi was originally not a gentleman. How could he withstand Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s seduction? He soon became a hungry tiger and swallowed Shangguan Lingluo. He didn¡¯t even pull his clothes off. His pants gathered around his thighs as he pounced at Shangguan Lingluo.

    The two were enthusiastically doing the deed, but the eunuch standing guard rushed inside. He didn¡¯t care about their entanglement and said with a white face, ¡°It¡¯s bad, Taizi and Gongzhu! Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu broke in!¡±

    Taizi was so scared that he almost passed out on the spot. He quickly got up and didn¡¯t even have the time to pull his pants up. He pped his hands. A secret guard jumped out.

    Taizi pointed to Shangguan Lingluo and said, ¡°Quickly get on top of her. You cannot let anyone find out that it was this...... this Taizi......¡± He didn¡¯t finish speaking before he opened Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s wardrobe and jumped inside.

    It must be said that Taizi was not an ordinary person. In such a desperate moment, he could still think of having someone take the me. He did not leave Shangguan Lingluo alone to face Third Wangzi because he was afraid that she might give him up. Leaving behind a secret guard would confuse the situation and he could kill her at a crucial moment.

    The secret guard cursed his bad luck. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to sample a Gongzhu¡¯s taste, but in order to do that, he had to pay with his life. That was a terrible deal. But what could he do? A master¡¯smand must be obeyed, even at the cost of death.

    The secret guard had no choice but to take off his pants and jump over. Shangguan Lingluo was also panicked. But soon that panic was ovee by that emptiness in her body, making her go crazy. She didn¡¯t care about how Third Wangzi and she had the same ancestors. She pulled out all of Third Wangzi¡¯s ancestors and scolded them. Why are youing here now?! Don¡¯t you know that Bengong is at a critical moment? If this desire does not dissipate, Bengong can die.

    Before she finished cursing, she saw Taizi¡¯s secret guarde over. She then scolded Taizi! What do you think Bengong is? A prostitute? You actually have the secret guarde over!

    But before she had finished scolding, shefortably moaned. That was because the secret guard had rushed into her body and started moving.

    On Zi You¡¯s side, Third Wangzi and the others had rushed to Yaohua Pce. Two eunuchs and two guards immediately jumped out and stopped them. ¡°Fourth Gongzhu is feeling unwell. She doesn¡¯t want to see anyone.¡±

    Zi You looked back at Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu. She asked, puzzled, ¡°Third Wangzi, Second Gongzhu, is Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s Yaohua Pce part of Chengguang Pce Hall? Even the pce servants in Chengguang Pce Hall are not this rude. They not only do not salute you, but they dare to block you? Aren¡¯t you a Wangzi and a Gongzhu? Do you still have any prestige?¡±

    Second Gongzhu said to Third Wangzi, ¡°Third brother, show them who is in charge.¡±

    Third Wangzi was persuaded by Zi You and Second Gongzhu and was immediately angry. Was a Wangzi¡¯s prestige something that a little pce servant could challenge? He walked over and kicked a pce servant over. ¡°Presumptuous! Fourth Gongzhu is Benwangzi¡¯s sister. It¡¯s right and proper for Benwangzi to check on his sister when she is unwell. What are you here prattling on about?¡±

    Zi You immediately raised a thumbs-up and praised, ¡°Third Wangzi, you¡¯re so heroic! Chennu admires you.¡±

    Zi You had never smiled at Third Wangzi, let alone praise him or treat him like a guardian angel. Third Wangzi was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood. His actions were more vigorous than before. He pushed the pce servants aside and took the lead to charge into Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s pce.

    Actually, Shangguan Lingluo was very unlucky. She was probably afraid that she and Taizi¡¯s affair would be exposed, so she had sent many pce servants to heavily guard and intercept them. However, it was better not to block them, because this made Third Wangzi suspicious.

    Even if she was unwell, she didn¡¯t need to haveyers of protection, right?! Could Shangguan Lingluo and Taizi be plotting some conspiracy?

    But Third Wangzi did not expect that they were not plotting some conspiracy, but were involved something dirty instead. As a result, the more the pce servants guarded, the more he wanted to charge inside.

    Third Wangzi kicked open the door to the bedroom. The scene inside was too shocking. The gongzis and xiaojies who came along were stunned into petrified states.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zi You was the first to react. She hastily covered her eyes in embarrassment.

    The other two girls, Wei Yajuan and Yin Xiaoxia also quickly turned away.

    Third Wangzi heard Zi You¡¯s shout and immediately reacted. The imperial family was indeed not simple. Third Wangzi thought of bringing down Shangguan Lingluo and dragging Taizi and the Empress down. All of this happened in only ten seconds.

    He walked over and grabbed the secret guard. He pointed to Shangguan Lingluo and angrily shouted, ¡°Shangguan Lingluo, what are you doing? You haven¡¯t married yet, but you¡¯re here privately meeting someone and even doing this kind of shameful thing. Who is this adulterer?¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo was extremely unlucky today. Taizi left her at a key moment and now, Third Wangzi interrupted her at another key moment. Her evil fire was not put out, but she was caught up in the current and had reached the peak. She had lost her rationality. She saw Third Wangzi and not only did not answer him, but jumped up naked from the bed and pounced over.

    Her crazy wildcat-like behavior scared Third Wangzi into losing all his color. He retreated a few steps back. Finally, out of desperation, he knocked her out.

    Third Wangzi then wrapped her up in a quilt. He pointed to Taizi¡¯s secret guard excitedly andmanded his pce servants. ¡°Catch this adulterer for Benwangzi. He even dares to take advantage of Gongzhu.¡±

    The secret guard shouted loudly, ¡°It¡¯s not Nucai¡¯s fault. Fourth Gongzhu is under the effects of an aphrodisiac. She made Nucai dispel the drug for her.¡±

    ¡°Aphrodisiac?¡± Shangguan LingRan came inside at this time. he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Fourth meimei is a Gongzhu. Who dares to give her an aphrodisiac? Hey! You ve, if you like fourth meimei, you should have asked imperial uncle to bestow a marriage. You should not defile fourth meimei¡¯s innocence! Poor fourth meimei is a maiden who had not reached marriage age yet!¡±

    Finally, he looked heartbroken and inconsble, making Zi You want tough.

    Second Gongzhu suddenly rushed over to Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s bed. She shook the quilts on the messy bed. There was no smear of red. She couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°What maiden? There¡¯s not even a smear of red. This isn¡¯t her first time.¡±

    She had not finished speaking, but everyone was clear. For a time, everyone stared with wide eyes and didn¡¯t know what to say. A Gongzhu from the imperial family had not reached marriageable age and was like this already. This was really shocking.

    Zi You ran over to Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu. She said, very anxiously, ¡°What if Chennu bites her finger to drip some blood out? If the Emperor finds out that Fourth Gongzhu isn¡¯t......¡±

    She then really went to bite her finger......

    ¡°The Emperor has arrived!¡± A eunuch¡¯s voice sounded just as Zi You¡¯s left index finger was ced in her mouth.

    With the voice, the Emperor, Old General Mu, Mu YingYi, Duke Anguo, and several other officials came inside.

    They took ane look at the chaos, especially the disheveled guard, the unconscious Shangguan Lingluo wrapped in a quilt on the ground, and the messy bed. The Emperor wasn¡¯t a fool. He seemed to have guessed what had happened. His face suddenly turned green. He looked at Third Wangzi and coldly asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Third Wangzi pointed to the guard and Shangguan Lingluo and sighed as he shook his head. ¡°Replying to Fuwang, they...... They were...... Were......¡±

    Third Wangzi found it difficult to say and didn¡¯t say it. But the Emperor understood.

 Chapter 165 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [4]

    <h4>Chapter 165 Adulterer Gongzhu Is Caught in Bed and Abolished [4]</h4>

    The Emperor was so furious that he immediately shouted, ¡°Seal this ce! Lock everyone up in Yaohua Pce. Wake Shangguan Lingluo up and bring the guard along. Everyonee with me to the side pce hall!¡±

    Everyone there followed the Emperor to Yaohua Hall¡¯s side hall.

    At this moment, the Emperor was a little scary. He didn¡¯t have the smiling and approachable expression that he had when he was chatting with Zi You earlier.

    His face sunk deeply. His body exuded cold and suppressive pressure, scaring Yin Xiaoxia into her legs softening. If Zi You did not help her, she would have copsed onto the ground.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± The Emperor nced at Third Wangzi and Zi You. His words were like hail that could smash someone to death. ¡°You speak first, Three.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Fuwang.¡± The Emperor was clearly angry. Third Wangzi was also a little afraid. Zi You could tell that his voice was trembling. ¡°This is what happened. Erchen, Taizi gege, You¡¯er, and them......¡±

    Third Wangzi spoke while he pointed to the other gongzis and xiaojies. ¡°We went to the Ronghua Pce Hall to rest. We were nning to y kickball. Fourth meimei¡¯s pce servant said that fourth meimei was feeling unwell and wanted Taizi gege to take a look. Then he left.

    ¡°Then we and imperial sister who cameter, smelled the plum blossoms and went to appreciate the plum blossoms. Upon entering the plum blossom grove, we heard Yu Xiaojie say to Ling gege that...... That Mu Xiaojie¡¯s hunting injury was caused by fourth meimei sending assassins after her. Mu Xiaojie couldn¡¯t believe it and went to ask fourth meimei for the truth.

    ¡°Who knew that when we arrived at Yaohua Pce, the pce servants said that fourth meimei was seriously ill and wouldn¡¯t let Erchen go inside? Erchen and second imperial sister were worried, so we pushed them aside and went inside. Erchen really didn¡¯t know...... Didn¡¯t know that fourth meimei...... Please forgive Erchen, Fuwang!¡±

    ¡°Mu Zi You, say what happened.¡± The Emperor called her out.

    Zi You immediately kowtowed and replied, ¡°Replying to Emperor, Chennu¡¯s ount is pretty much the same as Third Wangzi¡¯s. Chennu drank too much today, so Chennu wanted to rest for a bit in Ronghua Pce. Chennu met Taizi, Third Wangzi, and these gongzis and xiaojies. We then wanted to start a kickball game.

    ¡°We first rested for a bit in Ronghua Pce. Chennu, Yin Xiaojie, and Wei Xiaojie wanted to go look at the plum blossoms. We met with Third Wangzi, Second Gongzhu, Yu gongzi, Li gongzi, and Ke gongzi. Then we went to the plum blossom grove, where we heard what Yu Xiaojie and Shizi Ye said......¡±

    Zi You summarized what the two people had said. She continued, ¡°But Chennu didn¡¯t believe it because Fourth Gongzhu toasted Chennu at the banquet. She said that she wanted to be friends with Chennu. We drank a cup of wine. This is something that everyone saw. Chennu didn¡¯t believe that Fourth Gongzhu would send someone to kill Chennu. So, Chennu wanted to go to Yaohua Pce to ask her if Yu Xiaojie was telling the truth.

    ¡°At Yaohua Pce, the pce servants were arrogant. They not only didn¡¯t salute Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu, but they also blocked Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu from going inside. Third Wangzi was anxious when he heard that Fourth Gongzhu was seriously ill. He pushed the pce servants aside and charged in. And then we saw......

    ¡°No. Chennu covered my eyes immediately and didn¡¯t see anything. But Fourth Gongzhu did look like she was suffering from an aphrodisiac like the man said. Although Chennu has never seen someone with the symptoms, Fourth Gongzhu looked the same as what is depicted in medical books.¡±

    The Emperor angrily mmed his hands down on a table. He looked at Yu Meilian and shouted, ¡°How do you know that Shangguan Lingluo sent assassins to kill Mu Xiaojie? And how did Shangguan Lingluo know that Mu Xiaojie went into the mountains?¡±

    Yu Meilian kowtowed in fright. She didn¡¯t know what to say and could only cry.

    Her brother saw this and quickly kowtowed for mercy. ¡°Please have mercy, Emperor. Chen¡¯s sister must be afraid that Shizi Ye will look down on Fourth Gongzhu, so she made up such things.¡±

    Zi You coldly smiled. ¡°Is your sister a fool? How dare she tell such a lie? No matter what, Chennu is still the Emperor¡¯s personally conferredmander of the female medical team. If the lie of Fourth Gongzhu sending someone to kill Chennu is spread out, your sister isn¡¯t afraid ofmitting the crime to deceive the monarch?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s ¡°crime to deceive the monarch¡± was spoken and Yu Meilian fainted away. A puddle of water came out of her pants. She apparently lost control of her bowels.

    The Emperor was immediately disgusted. He secretly scolded her and Minister Yu a few times. ¡®What trash Minister? What trash prominent family¡¯s xiaojie? How did he give birth to such a useless and troublesome thing? If she didn¡¯t say such nonsense, Mu Zi You wouldn¡¯t have gone to find Lingluo and Lingluo¡¯s scandal wouldn¡¯t be exposed. But how did Lingluo ingest the aphrodisiac?¡¯

    This scandal was exposed! And so many people had witnessed it. He really couldn¡¯t cover it up. The Emperor really had a headache!

    Third Wangzi immediately pretended to be considerate and went over to give a reminder. ¡°Fuwang can summon Taizi gege here. Fourth meimei¡¯s pce servants called him away earlier. He might be able to understand what happened to fourth meimei.¡±

    ¡°Summon Taizi.¡± Third Wangzi finished speaking and the Emperor immediately ordered.

    However, the unlucky Taizi was hiding in Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s wardrobe. Yaohua Pce was also sealed by the Emperor, so he could not get out.

    The wardrobe was not veryrge. He curled up inside and almost suffocated! Cold sweat in the wintertime soaked his clothing.

    The people the Emperor sent searched here and searched there...... Taizi¡¯s pce servants were found, but they could not find Taizi.

    At this time, Shangguan Lingluo woke up. An imperial doctor came over with ice water and acupuncture to get rid of the aphrodisiac¡¯s effects.

    She was sober now when the aphrodisiac dissipated and her rationality returned. She thought of what had happened and cold sweat suddenly dripped down.

    She crawled over to the side hall and asked to see the Emperor. ¡°Bengong wants to see Fuwang. Hurry and let Bengong inside!¡±

    The Emperor heard her wailing and howling outside. His previous love and doting for herpletely disappeared. There was only boundless anger now!

    He used to think that she was na?ve. Now it seemed that she was arrogant, domineering, and shameless.

    Such a Gongzhu would only cken him and the imperial family¡¯s reputation. If he knew that she was going to turn out like this, he rather that she had passed away with her Mufei too.

    Shangguan Lingluopletely did not know that during the time that was unconscious, Second Gongzhu had told the Emperor everything.

    The Emperor had brought Yu Meilian, Shangguan LingRan, Second Gongzhu, Third Wangzi, Zi You, the involved gongzis and xiaojies, Old General Mu, and the other officials to another side hall.

    The Emperor was not letting anyone leave since the situation wasn¡¯t clear and the scandal could not be suppressed. How shameful would it be if this was spread out?!

    The Emperor strongly suppressed the surging anger in his heart and said, ¡°Let her in.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo came inside and didn¡¯t even salute the Emperor. She looked at Zi You as if she saw a criminal who had killed her mother. She immediately pounced over and bared her ws and fangs. ¡°You cheap wench! Bengong lowered myself to make amends with you. Why do you want to frame Bengong and put an aphrodisiac in Bengong¡¯s wine?¡±

    Third Wangzi shifted. He wanted to jump over and stand up for Zi You. But he looked at the Emperor¡¯s green and livid face and stopped his feet.

    Shangguan Lingluo was, after all, his own sister. If he stood up for an official¡¯s daughter and reprimanded his own sister, Fuwang wouldn¡¯t say it, but his heart would be chilled.

    A long set of nails wanted to scratch Zi You¡¯s small face. Shangguan LingRan flipped his finger in the air and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s knee was hit.

    Shangguan Lingluo was in pain. She fell to the ground with an ¡°Ouch.¡± Her long nails didn¡¯t scratch Zi You¡¯s face, but ripped out the silk in her brocade dress.

    It could be imagined that what Zi You¡¯s face would look like if she had scratched Zi You¡¯s face.

    The Emperor had never thought that his daughter would strike an official¡¯s daughter in front him, her Fuwang. He furiously said, ¡°Presumptuous! Why aren¡¯t you pulling her over for Zhen?¡±

    He thought that his fourth daughter went overboard! Who was Mu Zi You? She was the precious treasured granddaughter of Old General Mu. If she was really hurt by his own daughter, would Old General Mu still be loyal to him?

    Thinking of this, the Emperor quickly said to Zi You, ¡°You¡¯er, are you okay? Come over to Zhen. Don¡¯t let this madwoman hurt you.¡±

    It was as if Zi You finally reacted from shock. She shook her head miserably and obediently went over to the Emperor¡¯s side.

    Shangguan Lingluo struggled even more frantically. She shouted, ¡°Fuwang, are you making a mistake? I¡¯m your daughter. This cheap wench harmed me. Why are you not going to kill her? Why are you all mesmerized by her?¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s jealousy and anger made her forget how she received the Emperor and Empress Dowager¡¯s doting. She suddenly looked terrifyingly ferocious.

    Actually, she wasn¡¯t a fool. After her Mufei, Hui Fei, passed away, the Empress did not immediately take her and Fourth Wangzi in to raise.

    She suffered every master and even pce servants¡¯ insult. Finally, she began to learn how to please every master and try to win over even the pce servants.

    That was how she slowly gained a foothold in the Pce. The Empress saw that the Emperor began to pay attention to her. That was why she took her and her brother to raise.

    She was eight years old when Hui Fei passed away. She was nine and a half years old when she was brought to be raised by the Empress.

    During that one and a half year, she tried hard to please the Emperor and Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager was sick, she personally took care of her. When the Emperor was unwell, she used her own blood to make medicine.

    She was kind, sensible, and virtuous. That was why the Empress Dowager and Emperor loved her. She finally became the noblest Gongzhu in the Pce.

    But the original sensibility and virtuousness were faked. The Emperor looked at his daughter¡¯s mad appearance with a face of disgust.

    His mind constantly turned. Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s reputation was destroyed now. She was the shame of the imperial family. Did he need to offend Mu Junyuan for such a daughter?

    If he offended him, there were no other loyal generals avable. It seemed like he could only sacrifice Shangguan Lingluo to pacify the scandal and appease Mu Junyuan.

    The Emperor was about to speak, but Zi You asked, ¡°Fourth Gongzhu, you said that Chennu drugged you. But the only close contact with you was when you came over to toast Chennu. The wine jug and wine are yours. How can Chennu drug you? Also, you have made amends with Chennu. Why would Chennu drug you?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Second Gongzhu stood up for Zi You. ¡°The wine jug and wine are carried by your pce maid. Can it be that your own pce maid wants to harm you too? Besides, it isn¡¯t the first time between you and that guard. There is no smear of red on the bed. What are you refuting? Mu Xiaojie even wanted to bite her finger to cover up for you. Now, you¡¯re here using her. You¡¯re really inhuman.¡±

    Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s mind turned and she suddenly looked at Shangguan Yunluo. She fiercely scolded, ¡°Shangguan Yunluo, you b*stard! It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you who wants to harm me, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you a mad dog? Biting everywhere?¡± Second Gongzhu was angry and also yelled out.

    The Emperor looked at his two daughters attacking each other. His head pained even more. He finally waved his hand. ¡°Fourth Gongzhu is un-virtuous. From today on, she is abolished of the Gongzhu title. She is demoted to amoner. She will be a nun and never be allowed to enter the pce again. The man will be executed.¡±

    The Empress had rushed over and only heard thest words of the imperial decree.

    She quickly knelt down and begged. ¡°Please calm your anger, Emperor! Fourth Gongzhu......¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The Empress had not finished speaking, but was interrupted by the Emperor. ¡°Look at the Gongzhu whom you have raised. She makes a mess in the court and attempts to murder an official¡¯s daughter. Even till now, Taizi can¡¯t be found. What are you doing? Are you too busy to take care of the wangzis and gongzhus? Then let Liu Guifei help you manage half of the harem¡¯s affairs.¡±

    The Empress¡¯ peach blossom eyes that were very simr to Taizi¡¯s looked deeply at Zi You. Although she didn¡¯t say anything, she questioned in her heart what role this Mu Xiaojie yed in today¡¯s matter.

    The Emperor thought for a long time, but didn¡¯t have the heart to kill Shangguan Lingluo. He reduced her to amoner and a nun to block everyone¡¯s mouths.

    Zi You coldly smiled. She, with her grandfather and uncle, quietly thanked the Emperor for his grace. Then she looked at the wardrobe in Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s pce and let Taizi off.

    This was not the time to kill him. If Taizi fell, Third Wangzi would dominate. Second Wangzi might not be able to beat him. Only if Taizi and Third Wangzi kept each other in check would Second Wangzi have the opportunity to rest, recuperate, and make ns.

    Taizi was about to suffocate to death in Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s wardrobe when the Emperor finally left with everyone.

 Chapter 166 Taizi is Kicked, Zi You is Rewarded

    <h4>Chapter 166 Taizi is Kicked, Zi You is Rewarded</h4>

    Taizi crawled out. He pretended to have lost his way because he was drunk. He went to sleep in an artificial cave and was found by a eunuch. He then went to the study in the Emperor¡¯s Chengguang Pce Hall.

    He had just walked in and the Emperor kicked him. He lowly reprimanded, ¡°Kneel down! You beast. Say it. What is going on with Lingluo and your secret guard? Don¡¯t tell Zhen that you don¡¯t know who that secret guard is. Zhen gave him to you.¡±

    Taizi pretended toment and grieve. ¡°Please forgive Erchen, Fuwang. Fourth meimei and Yu Youzhong had an affair a long time ago. Erchen sent Yu Youzhong to her, but how could Erchen know...... know that fourth meimei was co muddleheaded? It was toote when Erchen found out.

    ¡°Erchen went to lecture her, but she threatened Erchen with death and wouldn¡¯t let Erchen get rid of Yu Youzhong. Fuwang, Erchen didn¡¯t discipline fourth meimei and fourth meimei¡¯s actions have ckened the imperial family¡¯s name. Erchen is willing to be punished.¡±

    ¡°Then did you know that she sent someone to kill Mu Zi You?¡± The Emperor angrily mmed his hand down on a table.

    Taizi did not admit it. ¡°Erchen doesn¡¯t know about this matter. Erchen likes Zi You, so how can Erchen let fourth meimei send someone to kill her?¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s eyes stared at Taizi, as if he wanted to see his real thoughts on his face.

    Taizi was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. But he clenched his teeth, pretended to be calm, and allowed his father to scrutinize him.

    The Emperor didn¡¯t perceive anything and slowly sighed. ¡°This time Zhen cannot protect your fourth meimei. Mu Junyuan is not a fool. Lingluo tried to harm Mu Zi You again and again. It would be strange if he has no resentment in his heart.

    ¡°The aphrodisiac that Lingluo was drugged with is probably used to harm Mu Zi You. Zhen told someone to check that wine jug. That is the Mandarin Ducks Jug. It can hold wine on two sides. One side was really added with the aphrodisiac Wild Lady. That darned yatou! She couldn¡¯t harm someone, but ended up harming herself. How can Zhen raise such a stupid fool?!¡±

    The Emperor probably felt better after scolding her. ¡°Have her be a nun first to avoid this scandal. Then think of a way to get her out. Change her identity and give her some money to marry to a faraway ce.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Erchen obeys.¡± Taizi was secretly happy. He had escaped unharmed.

    Just as he was about to take his leave, the Emperor suddenly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Lingluo call you away? Howe you weren¡¯t in her pce?¡±

    Taizi¡¯s cold sweat suddenly flowed out again. He hurriedly exined, ¡°Erchen went, but the drug probably didn¡¯t take affect yet. Fourth meimei onlyined that she was hot. Erchen went to call the imperial doctor. Erchen felt dizzy, so Erchen went out. But Erchen was drunk......¡±

    Taizi was guilty. The more he spoke, the softer his voice was. The Emperor thought that Taizi was feeling guilty because he had to send people to search for him everywhere and didn¡¯t think any deeper.

    Actually, even if the Emperor thought until his brain exploded, he would never think that his son and daughter were ***.

    The Emperor angrily went to reprimand Yu Meilian¡¯s father. ¡°A prominent family¡¯s daughter stays alone with a man and speaks nonsense. How did you teach your daughter? What did she learn from ¡®Female Virtues¡¯ and ¡®Female Disciplines?¡¯¡±

    Minister of Revenue was scolded until his head ached. His expression was bitter as he pled, ¡°Yes, Chen deserves to die! Please forgive Chen. Chen will strictly disciple Chen¡¯s daughter. But Emperor said it too. Chen¡¯s daughter¡¯s reputation is ruined since she was alone with Shizi Ye. Please bestow Chen¡¯s daughter to An Wang Shizi as his consort, Emperor.¡±

    Hmm? The Emperor¡¯s antenna immediately stood up. You want to ally with An Wang fu? You old man. You¡¯re in control of the country¡¯s gold, silver, and grains. How can Zhen allow you to form an alliance with An Wang fu?

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t like your stupid love-struck daughter, so Zhen hadn¡¯t worried before. But now, that dandy is suddenly interested in her. Zhen needs to ponder well.

    The Emperor shook his head and said meaningfully, ¡°You know that Zhen treats Shizi as Zhen¡¯s own son. The Empress Dowager also loves him deep into her bones. Zhen needs to discuss his marriage with the Empress Dowager. Wait for the news.¡±

    The Emperor did not go to discuss with the Empress Dowager. He summoned Shangguan LingRan. He pretended to look loving and smiled as he said, ¡°Minister of Revenue, Yu daren, said that you and his daughter, Yu Meilian Xiaojie, are in love with each other. He asked Zhen to grant you a marriage. What do you think?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan pretended to be shy as he rubbed his head. ¡°En...... Chen did used to think that she was a love-struck fool. But now she doesn¡¯t seem that bad. Chen will do whatever imperial uncle says.¡±

    It seemed that Minister of Revenue really did collude with Left Prime Minister and An Wang fu. Shangguan LingRan had been adamant about not marrying this ¡°fish without face¡± before, but he suddenly changed now. One had to be vignt.

    The Emperor immediately dissuaded Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Zhen doesn¡¯t think that this Yu Meilian is worthy of you, Ling¡¯er. She¡¯s not sensible or courageous. Let¡¯s choose someone else to be the future An Wangfei. Why don¡¯t you pick someone else? Zhen will choose a better girl for you.¡±

    ¡°Chen thinks that she¡¯s very good.¡± Shangguan LingRan seemed to have decided on Yu Meilian and refused.

    The Emperor was even more determined not to marry Yu Meilian to his nephew. You want to deceive Zhen? Do you think Zhen is a fool? Zhen will find a chance to dismiss Minister of Revenue Yu. You dare to be disloyal? Huh!

    Finally, the Emperor appeased Old General Mu and Mu YingYi. ¡°This is indeed Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s fault. She has been spoiled by the Empress. However, there is indeed someone in the General¡¯s Manor who tipped her off. Beloved official Mu should thoroughly investigate when you return. Of course, Zhen have to bear some responsibility. Zhen originally wanted to kill Shangguan Lingluo, but......¡±

    ¡°Emperor cannot. Emperor cannot.¡± Old General Mu had no choice but to pull out adder for the Emperor to get off the stage. ¡°It¡¯s already a very heavy punishment to relegate Fourth Gongzhu to amoner and make her be a nun. You¡¯er is still alive, so Emperor doesn¡¯t need to me yourself. Chen will immediately return and investigate this matter. Chen will not easily forgive anyone with evil intentions!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Emperor looked sad. ¡°Your eldest daughter-inw has to take up most of the responsibility for this matter. Shangguan Lingluo wouldn¡¯t have seeded without her. Yu Meilian had said that it was your daughter-inw¡¯s mama who had sent her a letter.¡±

    Zi You was so angry that she almost cursed out loud. Your daughter wants to kill someone, but you can me someone else. You want Shangguan Lingluo to live? I definitely won¡¯t let you have your way.

    Old General Mu was also extremely angry. He said coldly, ¡°Chen will handle this matter severely when Chen returns. Please rest assured, Emperor!¡±

    Sacrificing Shangguan Lingluo recovered the imperial family¡¯s reputation. The Emperor warned the gongzis and xiaojies who were witnesses to Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s scandal. Then he scolded Third Wangzi and Second Gongzhu. ¡°Even if Lingluo is on bad terms with you, she is your sister. Something happened, but you didn¡¯t help her hide it and actually threw stones while she was down. Are you still humans? She¡¯s your own sister.¡±

    ¡°Would a sister see her jiejie in an unhappy marriage and mock her every day?¡± Second Gongzhu sobbed, very aggrieved.

    She had thought that she would be happy marrying Teng Yixuan. But Teng Yixuan was resentful towards her because she had ruined his future.

    He was so talented, so how could he be willing to live under a Gongzhu¡¯s skirt and be a useless man?

    Three monthster, he got a tongfang yatou pregnant. Shangguan Yunluo was extremely angry and personally went to beat up that tongfang yatou. But she didn¡¯t know that she herself was pregnant and thus, had a miscarriage.

    That was enough to make her sad. But who knew that Shangguan Lingluo would mock her every time that she went back to the Pce? ¡°Such bad eyes. You should resign to your fate after finding such a husband. You don¡¯t deserve to be happy.¡±

    She was so angry! Shangguan Lingluo didn¡¯t want her to live well and Shangguan Yunluo wasn¡¯t a saint. But she should still protect her?

    Third Wangzi thought the same. What sister? There was only Taizi as her brother in Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t put the rest of them in her eyes.

    Such an annoying person should be kicked out of the Pce a long time ago.

    Of course, these words couldn¡¯t be spoken out loud. They both said, ¡°Erchen will listen to Fuwang¡¯s guidance. We will be united and harmonious in the future.¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor saw that his children¡¯s attitudes were good. He thought again. He couldn¡¯t let the scandal spread out, so he summoned Zi You to the Jade Pce Hall.

    A screen had been set up in the middle of the Jade Pce Hall. The Emperor said, ¡°Mu Xiaojie, how is the training of your female medical team? Zhen wants to see the results of their training. The gongzis and xiaojies have prepared some entertainment. You can perform too. Come,e,e. Don¡¯t be idle and join the fun.¡±

    Zi You stood out and curtsied. She slightly smiled and said, ¡°Then Chennu will perform a Sword Dance with the female medical team, Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Permitted.¡± The Emperor seemed to be in a bad mood.

    Zi You curtsied and went to prepare. She changed into white martial attire.

    She was holding her finger-wide Yinxiao Sword that was glowing silver. Rong Yunhe, Xie Changsheng, Sun Xinsheng, and Luo Weicheng wore blue military attire and held swords too. Forty-six females wearing red military attire holding swords valiantly came to the hall. The first knelt to the Emperor and then to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

    The Empress Dowager knew about Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s matter. She was so angry that her hands and feet were cold and her head pained.

    So, she and the Empress were forcing smiles to give off the appearance of harmony in the imperial family.

    Only Liu Guifei sitting on the Empress¡¯s right was smiling sincerely. She was the proudest person today. She inadvertently received the right to manage half of the harem.

    The forty-six female medical members soon separated into four teams under their captains¡¯mand.

    Zi You waved her hand. Two guards started moved a drum over. Zi You put down her sword and picked up the drumstick. She waved her jade-like arm and hit the drum. The passionate and powerful drumming suddenly sounded in the Jade Pce Hall. Everyone¡¯s spirits were roused.

    The four captains led the forty-six females to wave their swords and dance with the drumbeats. They changed into a variety of formations. Although it wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, each person was full of energy and spirit.

    For a moment, everyone seemed to see a mighty army. Axes and swords were raised to the sky. gs flown. The soldiers¡¯ armor shone. Everyone was heroic. How spectacr and mighty this scene was! This made everyone feel the high morale and strength of this team.

    The fifty ves, other than Rong Yunhe, had never learned martial arts before. But they had the strength to pick up a sword and wave it around in just three months. This was quite difficult.

    The Emperor understood this point. So, he was secretly thinking while he was watching them. He was shocked. This little yatou Mu Zi You was really capable!

    She could train this group of ves into what they were now in just three months. It must have been difficult for her.

    At this time, Zi You quickly drummed. After the rapid drumbeats stopped, she arced in a beautiful curve and knocked the drumsticks twice. The team of fifty people immediately transformed into a circle.

    Zi You put down the drumstick and picked up her Yinxiao Sword. She jumped in the air like a beautiful swallow taking flight into the circle.

    The fifty people were on the outside and rotated, while chanting loudly. ¡°I raised antern while intoxicated and looked at my sword. I dreamed of going back to the army. The battlefield of soldiers in autumn is separated by 800 miles and fifty bows. The horses moved fast. Bows were fast like thunderbolts. (Borrowed from Southern Song Dynasty Xin Qiji¡¯s patriotic poem.)¡±

    Zi You waved her Yinxiao Sword and danced.

    For a moment, everyone could only see a dragon leaping and a phoenix swaying vividly and beautifully under the red brocade.

    As everyone was sighing, Zi You swished out rings and rings of sword aura, as if it thundered and with a clear light through the sea. Finally, she flipped back in a curve. The fifty members gathered around her. Their formation turned into a swallow.

    The chanting suddenly stopped. They all swished to the ground and neatly put their swords away. They quickly lined up in four rows. Zi You led them in the front. They all knelt down on one leg and loudly shouted, ¡°Wishing Great Yan millions of years of prosperity! Wishing the Emperor boundless longevity. Wishing Great Yan......¡±

    The Emperor looked at Zi You and asked the Empress Dowager, ¡°What do you think, Muhou?¡±

    Maybe because Zi You¡¯s drumming had a rousing effect or maybe because Zi You and the fifty people¡¯s Sword Dance boosted morale, the Empress Dowager¡¯s spirit and head felt a lot better.

    She smiled and replied, ¡°Not bad. Not bad. Even Aijia is spirited.¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± The Emperorughed for the first time since Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s matter. ¡°Very good! You trained fifty ves into soldiers in just three months. It¡¯s really not easy. Female medical teammander Mu Zi You is rewarded fifty gold taels, 1,000 silver taels, a set of Yongshi armor, and a Yingxiong Sword!¡±

 Chapter 167 An Assassination Attempt, The Female Medical Team is Implicated [1]

    <h4>Chapter 167 An Assassination Attempt, The Female Medical Team is Implicated [1]</h4>

    ¡°Emperor.¡± The Emperor had just finished speaking when Imperial Tutor She objected. ¡°The Yongshi Armor and Yingxiong Sword are to reward soldiers who obtained military merit. Mu Zi You has not obtained any military merit. How can she be worthy of such a reward now?¡±

    ¡°Chen agrees.¡± Old General Mu hurriedly stood up and said, ¡°Emperor, Imperial Tutor She is correct. Chen¡¯s granddaughter has not obtained any military merit. It is indeed inappropriate to reward her.¡±

    Zi You immediately understood what her grandfather was thinking.

    Imperial Tutor She was suppressing the General¡¯s Manor. Grandfather being so modest must suit the Emperor¡¯s taste.

    She looked at the expanding smile on the Emperor¡¯s face and immediately said, ¡°Emperor, Chennu is also embarrassed to ept your high-honor reward. When Chennu has obtained military honor and stand here in a dignified manner, then Chennu will ept Emperor¡¯s reward.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± The Emperor loudly praised. ¡°You have a backbone. Mu Zi You, Zhen will save the Yongshi Armor and Yingxiong Sword for you. You must not let Zhen down.¡±

    ¡°Chennu obeys.¡± Zi You loudly answered. Her every move was like the real soldiers of the Mu army. She had the courage and determination that soldiers had, but she was a bit more elegant than them.

    The most extraordinary thing was her eyes. They were already shimmering and even brighter now. They shone like stars and were filled with confidence and wisdom.

    Compared to the usual noble xiaojies¡¯ delicateness and frailness, this valiant Zi You was more eye-catching.

    At this moment, many gongzis, wangzis, and shizis noticed her. A woman¡¯s special beauty was engraved in their minds.

    Taizi and Third Wangzi¡¯s eyes shone with a determination to obtain her.

    Second Wangzi was determined that he would stand up no matter what. Only then could he be worthy of her!

    Zhao HongXiang looked proudly around at those admiring and amazed gazes of the wangzis, shizis, and gongzis at Zi You. He was overjoyed. Indeed, making the first move was advantageous. Anyter and You¡¯er certainly wouldn¡¯t be his.

    Now, I have an assurance and am engaged to her. There is also an agreement that if I don¡¯t have a concubine......

    Wait, this is really difficult to do. Zhao HongXiang thought of this and couldn¡¯t help but have a guilty conscience.

    He had just met up secretly with Yu Lanxuan. But it really couldn¡¯t med on him. He was chasing after You¡¯er earlier, but was stopped by Wei Mingrui and Zhu Likang. They, who had never paid attention to him before, had grabbed him and chatted for a long time about women.

    That caused him to pretend that he was still pure.

    After he had separated from him, he didn¡¯t know where You¡¯er was dragged to by Taizi and Third Wangzi.

    He was searching around aimlessly but did not find You¡¯er. Instead, he was blocked by Yu Lanxuan.

    She looked at him with resentment. Her eyes held yearning, grievance, sadness, and admiration. His heart softened a bit.

    He couldn¡¯t help but show her some concern. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you...... How have you been?¡±

    The girl¡¯s tears had rolled down. She had cried like pear blossoms in the rain.

    His heart couldn¡¯t bear it even more. He had quickly handed a handkerchief to her and softlyforted, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I feel bad if you cry.¡±

    The girl took his handkerchief and turned to leave. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but his uncontroble legs chased her.

    She wasn¡¯t disdainful when she saw that he was limping. Instead, she had asked, somewhat distressed and concerned, ¡°Shizi Ye, does your leg hurt?¡±

    The girl had been so wronged, but not only did she not me him or disdain him, but was, instead, worried about him. A man¡¯s pride received the greatest satisfaction. He looked at the girl and felt that her little face, that was smaller than a palm, was really cute.

    This Zhao HongXiang was someone who had tender feelings for the opposite sex. He looked around to see that no one was around. He immediately grabbed Yu Lanxuan¡¯s small hand and softlyforted. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I¡¯ll be slighting you. Don¡¯t worry. After I marry You¡¯er, I will persuade her to ept you. I will marry you as an equal wife then.¡±

    This scene was exactly the same [as Zi You¡¯s previous life]. It just urred two years ahead of time.

    Zhao HongXiang was feeling guilty and didn¡¯t dare to look at Zi You. Zi You didn¡¯t even nce at him. Instead, she looked quietly at Shangguan LingRan.

    She didn¡¯t even know what was going on. At this moment, she wasn¡¯t the slightest bit happy that the Emperor and wangzis were looking at her. She only hoped that this ¡°dandy¡± would look at her with praise.

    Shangguan LingRan was looking at her of course. Although he tried to suppress it, he still revealed an amazed and admiring smile after he saw the little yatou¡¯s outstanding performance.

    It wasn¡¯t that he had never seen dances with swords before. He had seen no less than ten Sword Dances at Xuanyuan Sect.

    After seeing Zi You¡¯s Sword Dance, he knew that although Jianghu females¡¯ sword dances were light and easy, theycked military toughness and domineering aura. They alsocked Zi You¡¯s spirit and beauty.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s phoenix eyes turned deep, as if they were a beautiful sea of stars surging with momentum.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes met his eyes. She almost fell into his eyes and couldn¡¯t extricate herself.

    Zi You¡¯s heart jumped and her cheeks turned red. She breathed with difficulty and calmed her mind.

    The Emperor had just seen the female medical team¡¯s performance and was obviously in a better mood. He smiled and was about to speak, but the Empress said, ¡°This female medical team is supposed to rescue wounded soldiers and is not going to fight, right? So why did Mu Xiaojie teach them martial arts? There are also four men here. What is going on?¡±

    She was suspicious of Zi You. Zi You could immediately sense that the Empress did not like her.

    At their first meeting, the Empress provoked everyone¡¯s jealousy towards Zi You. Now, she was directly telling the Emperor that Zi You had ulterior motives.

    It seemed that she and Imperial Tutor She were not in favor of Taizi marrying Zi You. That was why she couldn¡¯t help but take this attitude towards Zi You.

    In that case...... Zi You secretly sneered. She calmly said, ¡°Replying to Empress, the four males are going to be on the battlefield and treat those bigger and taller soldiers whom the females could not carry. Teaching them martial arts is to exercise their physical fitness, so that during a battle, they can rush to the frontline and rescue the wounded in time.

    ¡°If they were the same as before, breathless after walking a few steps and cannot lift or carry anything, let¡¯s not talk about saving people. But they won¡¯t even be able to protect themselves. Empress, we are going to save people and not going there to be saved. They have been learning medicine, but they are currently learning how to provide first aid on a battlefield.

    ¡°Emperor, Empress Dowager, Empress, you can verify what they have learned at anytime.¡±

    The Emperor looked dissatisfied at the Empress. He thought, ¡®Zhen¡¯s real purpose is to use these girls to encourage and motivate these noble gongzis, lest they only know how to y with cats and dogs and do nothing all day. Zhen isn¡¯t worried at all about the girls¡¯ medical skills. The imperial doctors sent to watch them report to Zhen every day about the female medical team¡¯s situation. When is it your turn to worry? You don¡¯t interfere in what you should and have to interfere in what you shouldn¡¯t.¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± The Emperor faintly said, ¡°Zhen knows that your female medical team studies and work hard. You did a good job......¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking, when it became noisy outside. More than thirty people in ck clothing and masks with weapons in hand rushed inside and started attacking people.

    ¡°Ah......¡± The hall was immediately chaotic. Not only were the women panicked and the xiaojies scared, but even the officials were so frightened that they fled. They simply did not care about protecting the Emperor.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi immediately and calmly ordered the guards to surround and protect the Empress Dowager, Emperor, and Empress.

    Zi You also ordered Rong Yunhe, ¡°Protect the girls. Don¡¯t move around. I¡¯ll go save the people.¡±

    Then she picked up her sword and went towards the ck-clothed people.

    Taizi and Third Wangzi entered the fray. However, their martial arts were inferior. They were soon forced back by the ck-clothed people.

    Zi You protected Nee Liu from the assassin and used her Three Bone Nails to attack the assassins fighting against Taizi and Third Wangzi.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were usually very strict with the army. Under Mu YingYi¡¯s five cities¡¯ jurisdiction, the capital was very peaceful. Assassinations had never happened before. Even theft and robberies were rare. So where did these assassinse from? Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were suspicious.

    They rushed over to two assassins, who seemed to be leaders, who had shouted, ¡°Concentrate your energy to take care of the dog Emperor first!¡± and ¡°Take care of it quickly. Don¡¯t drag it out!¡±

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were worried about Zi You, but they didn¡¯t forget to shout, ¡°You¡¯er, go protect the Emperor!¡±

    They said that it was to protect the Emperor, but that was because there were many guards around the Emperor. They hoped that Zi You and Nee Liu could be protected there. Zi You naturally understood that her grandfather and uncle were worried about her. For them to not be distracted, she pulled Nee Liu and rushed over to the Emperor. She and Shangguan LingRan blocked in front of the Empress Dowager.

    The Empress Dowager saw that Shangguan LingRan blocked in front of her even though he didn¡¯t know martial arts. She was touched and guilty. She had raised her grandson into a dandy, but her grandson wasn¡¯t immoral. Of all her grandchildren, he was the most filial to her.

    The two assassins were apparently not Old General Mu and Mu YingYu¡¯s opponents. They fought for a while and were defeated. They then rushed towards the female medical team.

    One of the assassins shouted, ¡°Rong Yunhe, why are you still not helping now? What are you waiting for?¡±

    Rong Yunhe turned tomand Sun Changsheng. Then he waved his sword and rushed over.

    The assassin smiled sinisterly, but he had smiled too early. Rong Yunhe stabbed him without any warning.

    The assassin¡¯s abdomen was stabbed. He saw that he was about to be captured alive and bit his tongue tomit suicide.

    The rest of the assassins saw that the situation was bad. They rushed over to capture the Emperor to force him to let them go.

    Five assassins saw that the Empress Dowager had fewer guards on her side, so they rushed over to her. The Empress Dowager only had two guards and Zi You who knew martial arts. It was obviously difficult to handle five people. Three of them saw that Zi You was a little girl and circled her. Their every move was dirty and deadly.

    Shangguan LingRan was furious. His phoenix eyes narrowed. Just as an assassin¡¯s sword was about to stab Zi You¡¯s chest, he picked up and threw his jade pendant.

    The jade pendant was small, but Shangguan LingRan used his internal power. The jade pendant hit the assassin¡¯s wrist. The assassin shouted and his wrist drooped. The hand in his sword flew out.

    The assassin stared at Shangguan LingRan like he was looking at a ghost. A small jade pendant could actually fracture his wrist. This devilish-looking man was not simple.

    At this time, another assassin was stabbed in the abdomen by Zi You. Another assassin saw that Zi You¡¯s Yinxiao Sword wasn¡¯t pulled out in time. He took the opportunity to sh Zi You¡¯s waist.

    Ruthlessness shed in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s phoenix eyes. He grabbed an apple on the table and threw it at the assassin¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°My eyes!¡± The assassin screamed. His hands felt his eyes. His eyes were bleeding. Red was over his eyes. He was obviously blind now.

    ¡°Idiot! Get behind me!¡± Shangguan LingRan angrily and secretly told her. She didn¡¯t know death. She wanted to use her martial arts to challenge three top masters. If he didn¡¯t move in time, wouldn¡¯t she get hurt? If she got hurt, wouldn¡¯t he be distressed to death?

    ¡°Don¡¯t expose your martial arts.¡± Zi You saw that he repeatedly struck and was obviously anxious. She was afraid that more assassins would circle her and quickly flew over to him. She and he protected the Empress Dowager and Nee Liu while leaning closer to the Emperor behind them.

    At this time, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi had subdued the other leader and his dozen or so assassins. They ran over to the Emperor.

    There were only three assassins attacking the Emperor now. They saw the current situation and took the poison that was in their mouths tomit suicide.

    The remaining leader and dozen or so assassins were brought over to the Emperor. The Emperor looked at the messy Jade Pce Hall, the two or three dead officials and furens, and a lot of injured people. He was so angry that his face turned green. He red fiercely at Mu YingYi before shouting at the assassins, ¡°Who are you? How dare you assassinate Zhen?¡±

    The leader said righteously, ¡°Everyone should punish an incapable ruler! I won¡¯t say anything. If you want to kill me, it¡¯s up to you. Do whatever you want.¡±

    Fourth Wangzi then suddenly said, ¡°Fuwang, Erchen just heard one of the assassins shout to the male member of the female medical team, ¡®Rong Yunhe, why are you not helping now? What are you waiting for?¡¯ Obviously, these assassins know that man.¡±

    ¡°Who is Rong Yunhe?¡± The Emperor was furious. His peach blossom eyes stared at Zi You without a smile.

    Zi You calmly walked over and brought out Rong Yunhe. ¡°Replying to Emperor, this is Rong Yunhe, the captain of the female medical team. But Chennu can use Chennu¡¯s head to guarantee that Rong Yunhe did not order what happened today.¡±

 Chapter 168 An Assassination Attempt, The Female Medical Team is Implicated [2]

    <h4>Chapter 168 An Assassination Attempt, The Female Medical Team is Implicated [2]</h4>

    ¡°How can you be so sure that your team member didn¡¯t do this?¡± Imperial Tutor She walked over to question Zi You. ¡°I remember that they are the descendants of criminals. Although their families were guilty, it doesn¡¯t mean that they don¡¯t hold a grudge and want to seek revenge.¡±

    Zi You coldly smiled. So, they had been waiting for her. Could it be that the Empress and Imperial Tutor She had a part in this matter in addition to Shangguan Lingluo?

    Zi You lifted up her deep pool-like eyes to look at Imperial Tutor She. She coldly smiled. ¡°I can guarantee it because I only told them about entering the Pcest night. After I told them, they never left the fu. So, how can they contact these assassins?¡±

    Imperial Tutor She immediately sneered. ¡°They didn¡¯t leave the fu, but you cannot guarantee that people outside did not contact them.¡±

    The Empress immediately said to Imperial Tutor She, ¡°Imperial Tutor She, perhaps Mu Xiaojie didn¡¯t know about this. She had good intentions and was probably used by others.¡±

    Then she said to the Emperor, ¡°Fortunately, some assassins survived. Won¡¯t things be clear if the Emperor asks them?¡±

    ¡°Someone,e!¡± The Emperor was reminded by the Empress and immediately shouted. ¡°Pry open the mouth of the assassins!¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± The leader raised his head decisively. ¡°I am Ganshan Province Rong Tianyi¡¯s subordinate. My brother was killed by you, incapable Emperor. 187 people in Rong fu were either killed or sold. How can I not repay this blood debt?¡±

    The Emperor jumped up angrily. ¡°Rong Tianyi embezzled arge number of military funds. He deserved to die a million times. Zhen not killing his offspring is already letting him off cheaply.¡±

    Rong Yunhe was already in a dilemma. He wanted to repay Zi You¡¯s grace, but also wanted to seek vengeance for his father. He couldn¡¯t help but raise his head and ask resentfully, ¡°My fathermitted a crime. You can just kill him alone. Why did you also kill my first and second brothers? What crime did theymit?¡±

    ¡°You are Rong Tianyi¡¯s youngest son?¡± The Emperor was shocked. Then he looked at Zi You and furiously mmed his hand down on a table. He snapped, ¡°Mu Zi You, is this what you meant by using your head to guarantee that they won¡¯t seek revenge against Zhen? You bought them for only four months and they can¡¯t wait to make a move against Zhen. Did you teach them martial arts to kill Zhen?¡±

    ¡°Mu Xiaojie.¡± At this time, the Empress looked sympathetically at Zi You and faintly sighed. ¡°Bengong knows that you have good intentions, but the children of the criminal officials have lost their rationality because of hatred. They are a group of madmen. How can you treat them like normal people?¡±

    Then she looked at the Emperor and softly and gentlyforted. ¡°Emperor, you can¡¯t me Mu Xiaojie. She¡¯s too young. She doesn¡¯t understand how sinister people¡¯s hearts are. But Old General Mu and Young General should not have lost your minds and let a child fool around! Look how dangerous it was today! If the Emperor......¡±

    The Empress elegantly rubbed her eyes with a handkerchief. She looked like there was still fear lingering in her as she looked worriedly at the Emperor.

    This nce, however, was deeply affectionate. It looked like it contained thousands of emotions, wounding the Emperor up.

    The Emperor immediately felt guilty. Although this Empress had deep thoughts, her feels for him were real. She had married him when he was a Wangzi. Over the years, she had toiled and worked hard to take care of his harem for him. She had not done anything too outrageous. It seemed that the first wife was still the sweetest!

    Thinking of this, he looked gently at the Empress. Then he turned in extreme dissatisfaction to Old General Mu and Mu YingYi. ¡°Exactly! Zhen put Zhen¡¯s security in your hands. You father and son treat it as a game?! You let your spoiled little yatou to fool around. If she didn¡¯t want to form some whatever female medical team, then how could it be so dangerous today?¡±

    The Emperor mmed his hand down a table and was about to speak, but heard Zi You¡¯s clear voice. ¡°Please calm your anger, Emperor. Can you allow Chennu to ask the assassins some questions?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Fourth Wangzi jumped out. His eyes were sharp as he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you vouch for your team with your head and that they won¡¯t rebel? They won¡¯t take revenge? But this Rong Yunhe is clearly full of resentment towards Fuwang. He must have done this matter today with his father¡¯s former subordinates.¡±

    Zi You sneered at Fourth Wangzi and ridiculed, ¡°Chennu is asking the Emperor. Why is Fourth Wangzi going above your identity and meddling?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan suddenly smiled at this time and asked Rong Yunhe, ¡°Rong Yunhe, your father¡¯s subordinates hate you, right? Hahaha. They have to drag you down right before they die.¡±

    Once Shangguan LingRan¡¯s words were spoken, everyone froze. Zi You¡¯s ridicule deepened. ¡°Shizi Ye, you are correct this time. This assassin is indeed punished and kicked out of Rong Tianyi¡¯smand.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone was surprised again. They looked at the assassin, then at Rong Yunhe, and finally at Zi You.

    Even the Emperor was secretly surprised. This Mu Zi You wasn¡¯t panicked after being repeatedly questioned by Imperial Tutor She, the Empress, and Fourth Wangzi. She had been calmly standing there. Her aloof and beautiful face contained a light smile, making her seem more like an elegant, clean, and aloof wintersweet in the ice.

    Zi You bowed to the Emperor and asked again, ¡°Chennu dares to ask Emperor to allow Chennu to ask this assassin a few questions.¡±

    ¡°Fuwang!¡± Fourth Wangzi cried out anxiously again. ¡°Mu Zi You......¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The Emperor finally red unhappily at Fourth Wangzi. ¡°Zhen is settling a case here. Why are you repeatedly interrupting?¡±

    After reprimanding Fourth Wangzi, he told Zi You coldly, ¡°Go ask!¡± Zhen wants to see what you can find out. Although he did speak thest sentence out loud, he really wanted to know the answer.

    Zi You bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Emperor!¡±

    She turned to the assassin and said, with a mocking face, ¡°You are Rong Tianyi¡¯s subordinate and is willing to sacrifice your life to seek revenge for him. You are trying to repay Rong Tianyi¡¯s grace to you, but why did Rong Tianyi kick you out of the fu?¡±

    The assassin replied with a sad face, ¡°It¡¯s because he knew that his corruption had been exposed. He was afraid to implicate me, so he made up a reason, beat me up, and kicked me out.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s smile gradually bloomed, like a quietly elegant and holy Tianshan snow lotus. ¡°What a joke. Rong Tianyi knew that his corruption came to light, but he didn¡¯t send his own sons away. He would give up his own flesh and blood¡¯s lives and his own future, but he would protect your life? Can it be that you are more important than his own family?¡±

    Zi You then turned to the Emperor and bowed again. ¡°Emperor, can you please allow me to ask Rong Yunhe and his sister some questions?¡±

    The Emperor was, ultimately, not stupid. He also felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right. He immediately nodded and agreed.

    Zi You slightly bowed and said to Rong Yunhe, ¡°Rong Yunhe, tell the Emperor what happened on the 29th ofst month and why this man named Wang Haiji was kicked out of the general¡¯s fu.¡±

    Rong Yunhe looked up at Zi You. He was stunned for five seconds before lowering his head in shame. He slowly said, ¡°This man is named Wang Haiji. He was a generalmander of my father¡¯s. The year beforest, he was drinking and causing trouble and killed the senior provincial official¡¯s son. The senior provincial official wanted him to pay with his life, so father had no choice but to kick him out of the general¡¯s fu. He had once told father¡¯s subordinates that father was not loyal. He was father¡¯s confidant, but father actually treated him like that.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know where he went. On the 29th ofst month, this man somehow found me on the streets. He said that he wanted to seek revenge for my father and assassinate...... assassinate the Emperor. He asked me if there was some way to enter the Pce. I didn¡¯t know that I was entering the Pce today, so I told him no.

    ¡°He then said to me, ¡®How can you not have a way to enter the Pce when you¡¯re in the General¡¯s Manor now? Don¡¯t forget who killed your father or how your general¡¯s fu was destroyed. I¡¯ll tell you something. I have inquired already. The Emperor will invite all the officials and their families to the Pce on the 1st. I have already hired assassins. We will act together internally and externally at that time.¡¯

    ¡°I immediately refused. ¡®No, this will cause a disaster to befall the whole General¡¯s Manor. It will bring a disaster to Zi...... Mu Xiaojie. She is the benefactor of me and my sister. I can¡¯t harm her.¡¯

    ¡°At that time, Wang Haiji was furious. ¡®You will forget about your family¡¯s vengeance for a woman? Are you still human? Think about how your innocent brothers died.¡¯

    ¡°I thought of how innocent my brothers were and was tempted for a while. But I still refused him. ¡®I will avenge my father and brothers, but only when I have the ability to rather than using Commander Mu. I will still be an animal if I don¡¯t know how to repay her grace.¡¯

    ¡°I then returned uneasy to the fu. I wanted to tell you.¡±

    Rong Yunhe was very regretful as he said to Zi You, ¡°Believe me, Commander. I really didn¡¯t conspire with them about this matter.¡±

    ¡°I believe you.¡± Zi You lightly smiled. ¡°Because your sister Qiyan told me about this after you returned that night. Qiyan, tell the Emperor what happened.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡± Rong Qiyan looked at her brother full of reproach. She knelt down and kowtowed to the Emperor. ¡°We went to the market on the 29th. After fifteen minutes, my brother told Uncle Jiang that he had something personal to take care of, so he wanted to go off alone. Uncle Jiang couldn¡¯t refuse, but Nubi was suspicious.

    ¡°What personal business did my brother have that he needed to hide it from me...... Ah, hide from Nubi? Nubi quietly followed him and saw that brother went to a private room in Jufu Lou. Nubi saw Wang Haiji and heard their conversation. Nubi was scared and went back to tell Commander. That¡¯s the whole story.¡±

    ¡°Qiyan, why did you tell me?¡± Zi You deliberately asked.

    Qiyan looked up at her and said excitedly, ¡°As you said, Commander, Nubi was like cattle being bought and sold in the ve market. Nubi finally became a human again. Who is willing to be livestock again? When Nubi thinks of those inhuman days, Nubi still has nightmares.¡±

    ¡°Huh! Who believes that?¡± Fourth Wangzi stared fiercely at Rong Qiyan. ¡°You don¡¯t want to seek vengeance for your blood debt? Are you still human?¡±

    Zi You looked at Fourth Wangzi and coldly said, ¡°So, Fourth Wangzi thinks that everyone should seek vengeance? In that case, won¡¯t the Emperor be uneasy day and night? How many corrupt officials are there each year? How many enemies are beheaded on the battlefield? How many of their families still live? Shouldn¡¯t they alle to find the Emperor for revenge then?¡±

    The Emperor¡¯s peach blossom eyes red ferociously at Fourth Wangzi. Although he didn¡¯t speak, the ruthlessness and reproach in his eyes scared Fourth Wangzi so much that he couldn¡¯t speak anymore.

    Rong Qiyan kowtowed and said tearfully, ¡°Emperor, before Nubi¡¯s mother passed away, she had Nubi make a vow in front of her not to seek vengeance, but to live well. Mother said that father got what he deserved. He didn¡¯t listen to her, which was how he courted this disaster and implicated Nubi¡¯s innocent brothers.

    ¡°Mother wanted Nubi to forget the hatred and not live in pain. Nubi was bought back by Xiaojie and this is how Xiaojie taught Nubi too.¡±

    ¡°But even so, that doesn¡¯t mean that Rong Yunhe and Wang Haiji didn¡¯t collude.¡± Imperial Tutor She asked, puzzled, ¡°Maybe he changed his mind and contacted the assassinster?¡±

    Zi You looked at the dignified, chubby, and smiling Imperial Tutor She. She sneered. ¡°Huh...... You are amazing, Imperial Tutor She,! The first time you enter the Pce, without knowing where the Jade Pce Hall is located, you can lead more than thirty assassins quietly into the Pce and not be found by anyone so that you can alle out of thin air to assassinate the Emperor?

    ¡°Even if you have the ability, you need to be able to split your bodies to be at two ces at once. You may have the ability, but Rong Yunhe does not.¡±

    When she was done mocking him, Zi You bowed to the Emperor. She said, ¡°Emperor, hand this Wang Haiji over to Chennu. Chennu will have him speak the truth.¡±

    ¡°You cannot, Emperor.¡± Imperial Tutor She immediately objected. ¡°Rong Yunhe is part of Mu Xiaojie¡¯s team. She should avoid doing things to arouse suspicion.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s delicate face once again bloomed eye-catchingly and vividly. She looked at the Emperor and said confidently, ¡°Emperor, you can listen as Chennu interrogates him to see if Chennu is deceiving you.¡±

    Mu YingYi was so anxious that he had wanted to go up several times to help her, but he was stopped by Old General Mu.

    Old General Mu was worried in the beginning too. But he looked at his granddaughter¡¯s calmness and, for some reason, his anxious heart settled down.

    At this moment, he was fully convinced that his granddaughter could get out of this trouble. Instead, it would be bad if he rashly rushed to help her.

 Chapter 169 Conspiracy is Revealed, The Death of Fourth Gongzhu and Fourth Wangzi

    <h4>Chapter 169 Conspiracy is Revealed, The Death of Fourth Gongzhu and Fourth Wangzi</h4>

    The Emperor was a very suspicious person. He hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time and merely looked at Zi You, Imperial Tutor She, Fourth Wangzi, Rong Yunhe, and Rong Qiyan. He already felt that something was wrong.

    It was indeed doubtful that Rong Yunhe colluded with the assassins to act internally and externally to assassinate him.

    Zi You¡¯s insinuation was correct. It was impossible for thirty people to sneak quietly into the Pce to assassinate him without someone familiar with the Pce to lead the way. And this person was not only familiar with the Pce¡¯s terrain, but also with where there were guards patrolling in the Pce and which ces the assassins could hide.

    This person was unlikely to be Rong Yunhe. There must be someone else who colluded with the assassins.

    The Emperor looked sinisterly at the officials, wangzis, the Empress, and the consorts. He then said to the guards, ¡°Detain this Wang Haiji.¡±

    Then he looked at Zi You and said calmly, ¡°Come with Zhen, Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You bowed and walked behind the Emperor.

    The Emperor then said to Taizi, Third Wangzi, Fourth Wangzi, Old General Mu, Mu YingYi, Imperial Tutor She, Minister of Justice, and the others, ¡°You follow too.¡±

    Everyone, as well as the assassins, was brought into the Jade Pce Hall¡¯s side hall. The Emperor told someone to shut the door. He then nodded to Zi You. ¡°You can start.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Emperor.¡± Zi You bowed. She continued, ¡°Emperor, I will use hypnosis. The criminal will tell the truth. But during the hypnosis, no one can make loud noises or suddenly interrupt.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± The Emperor looked at everyone. He warned overbearingly, ¡°Do ording to what she said. If anyone dares to interfere, Zhen will not spare him!¡±

    Zi You said to the guards, ¡°Tie him to the chair.¡±

    The guards tied Wang Haiji to a chair. Zi You looked at everyone before walking elegantly and dignified over to him. Her deep eyes stared at him for a full five minutes.

    Wang Haiji had goosebumps. He didn¡¯t know why the girl in front of him had eyes that seemed to be able to suck his soul out.

    Wang Haiji involuntarily stared into Zi You¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t move away.

    Zi You saw that Wang Haiji¡¯s eyes turned a bit blurry. She smiled and softly asked, ¡°After you were reprimanded by General Rong, you were also kicked out his fu. Do you really hate him?¡±

    ¡°No...... I don¡¯t hate him.¡± Wang Haiji gritted his teeth. He was desperately fighting against his will since he didn¡¯t want to speak the truth.

    Zi You then took out a crystal ball and ced it in front of him. She constantly swung it. Her voice grew gentler, as if it contained some unspeakable charm. ¡°Tell me the truth. Do you really hate General Rong?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Rong Haiji was drowsy and involuntarily said. ¡°I hate him. He was too disloyal. He could clearly protect me. But he beat and scolded me just to appease the anger of a small senior provincial official. He finally kicked me out of the military and his fu. My career was ruined. Of course I hate him.¡±

    The spectators were shocked. They didn¡¯t what kind of magic Zi You¡¯s crystal ball held that could make Wang Haiji change his story.

    But the more magical thing was still toe. They saw that Wang Haiji had actually fallen asleep. He was asleep, but he could still answer Zi You¡¯s questions.

    One person asked and one person answered. The whole ins and outs of the matter were clearly revealed in front of everyone like this.

    Zi You asked, ¡°Do you want to avenge General Rong?¡±

    ¡°No. I was harmed by him until I was like a homeless cur. That darned senior provincial official even sent someone to kill me. Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s subordinates saved me when I had no way out. She wanted me to act out a show to assassinate the Emperor and frame Rong Yunhe. I had no choice but to do it.¡± Wang Haiji answered slowly with his eyes closed.

    Zi You looked at the Emperor¡¯s livid face. She asked, ¡°How did you find Rong Yunhe?¡±

    Wang Haiji replied, ¡°The General¡¯s Manor is heavily guarded. I could not go inside. Then Fourth Gongzhu told me that the female medical team will buy things at the market on the 29th. She wanted me to wait for him at the market. She wanted me to persuade him to enter the Pce and act with us.¡±

    ¡°Then did Rong Yunhe agree?¡± Zi You had put her crystal ball away at this time. She stood there calmly and asked slowly.

    Wang Haiji still answered with his eyes closed. ¡°No. He was afraid of implicating Mu Xiaojie and his sister. He wouldn¡¯t do it. Then Fourth Gongzhu said that she would send someone to help us, take us into the Pce, and call us......¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense!¡± Fourth Wangzi suddenly shouted. ¡°Who are you? Why are you framing Fourth Gongzhu?¡±

    Wang Haiji was suddenly disturbed. He was immediately restless.

    Zi You looked coldly at Fourth Wangzi. Then she bowed deeply. ¡°Chennu had said that there can be no disruptions during the hypnosis. But there¡¯s no need to ask anymore. Emperor should know who really wants to kill you, right?¡±

    ¡°Impossible.¡± Imperial Tutor She rebutted for Fourth Gongzhu. ¡°Emperor, who doesn¡¯t know that you dote on Fourth Gongzhu? She has no reason to kill you.¡±

    Zi You pretended to be sad and helpless as she shook her head. ¡°Emperor, Fourth Gongzhu doesn¡¯t want to assassinate you. She wants Chennu¡¯s head. As Imperial Tutor She said, Rong Yunhe is part of the female medical team. As long as he was involved in the assassination case, Chennu will have to die for the crime. Even grandfather and uncle would be implicated and unable to plead on Chennu¡¯s behalf. If Chennu is not mistaken, the assassins whomitted suicide were sent by Fourth Gongzhu too.¡±

    Zi You knelt down in front of the Emperor and kowtowed tearfully. ¡°Chennu can¡¯t even use Chennu¡¯s death to make up for causing the Emperor to be frightened and leading to the deaths of so many officials and their families. Please hand out punishment, Emperor!¡±

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi went over to kneel in front of the Emperor too. ¡°Chen is also guilty. Please hand out punishment, Emperor!¡±

    The Emperor was so angry that the blue veins on his temple throbbed. At this point, he was a monarch in vain if he still didn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    He didn¡¯t think that his own daughter was so tyrannical. To avenge her own personal grievances, she sent assassins to assassinate her Fuwang to achieve her purpose.

    His daughter was like this, but his son not only did not dissuade her, but tried to defend her, cover for her, and tried to frame Rong Yunhe to achieve their purpose.

    But they had no conflict with Mu Zi You. Why were they wholeheartedly bent on harming her? The Emperor did not understand.

    He looked at the three generations of the Mu family kneeling in front of him. He knew that he could only severely punish Shangguan Lingluo to provide an exnation for everyone, including the dead and injured officials and their families.

    The Emperor was so angry that he almost spat out blood. His original dislike of Shangguan Lingluo had turned into deep resentment. Swords had no eyes. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will hurt your Fuwang and your own siblings? Or do you not care whether we live or die?

    Under extreme anger, the Emperormanded Taizi, ¡°Execute Shangguan Lingluo. Reduce Fourth Wangzi to amoner. He will be forbidden from entering the imperial city again.¡±

    ¡°Please reconsider, Emperor!¡± Imperial Tutor She immediately knelt down. ¡°You cannot proim Fourth Gongzhu and Fourth Wangzi guilty just based on Mu Xiaojie¡¯s whatever hypnosis and the assassin¡¯s words! Chen thinks that Mu Xiaojie¡¯s whatever hypnosis is too absurd. Who has heard of it? Who has seen it? That crystal ball is probably the problem. How do we not know that it was a y by Mu Xiaojie and the assassin?¡±

    Taizi then jumped out and looked meaningfully at Imperial Tutor She. ¡°Imperial Tutor She is not being fair to Mu Xiaojie. Just because you haven¡¯t seen it doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s absurd or unreliable. Fuwang, Erchen believes Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    Taizi was bent on killing Shangguan Lingluo. That woman was too crazy! Who knew when she would act up again? She entangled with him in broad daylight and made him cut such a sorry figure.

    It was too dangerous to leave her alive! He had lost a secret guard because of her today. That was already enough to make him distressed. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it if he lost Mu Zi You and Mu Junyuan¡¯s support too.

    He was together with Shangguan Lingluo in the beginning not only for the *** excitement. It was mainly because she could say some good things about in front of Fuwang.

    But now, she had obviously lost Fuwang¡¯s love. She was an abandoned child. Keeping her alive was the equivalent of leaving a hidden danger behind to constantly make him afraid!

    Imperial Tutor She did not expect that Taizi would refute him. This matter today was nned by the Empress for him to go up against Old General Mu.

    Imperial Tutor She also did not understand why the Empress wanted to do this. His daughter had deep thoughts. Even he, her father, was ashamed that he could not guess what she was thinking.

    Shangguan Lingluo was raised by the Empress and was just like the Empress¡¯ own daughter. She had always been on good terms with Taizi. They were more like brother and sister than biological brothers and sisters. But why did Taizi not plead for Shangguan Lingluo?

    Imperial Tutor She looked puzzled at his grandson. He looked embarrassed. ¡°Taizi, Fourth Gongzhu is your sister. Can you bear to watch her die?¡±

    ¡°This Taizi can¡¯t bear it, of course.¡± Taizi looked sadly at Imperial Tutor She and said vehemently, ¡°But a Wangzi guilty of a crime will be punished the same as amoner. Even if this Taizi can¡¯t bear it even more, this Taizi cannot ignore the country¡¯sws. For her own private grievance, Fourth Gongzhu disregarded the country¡¯sws, Fuwang¡¯s safety, and the life and death of the officials andmitted such a heinous crime. How can this Taizi still shield her?¡±

    Taizi¡¯s rousing speech made a lot of officials nod fervently. Even Old General Mu¡¯s impression of him had changed. He had a better understanding of him ruining his granddaughter¡¯s reputation from before. Perhaps he really did like You¡¯er. That was why he would speak up for You¡¯er at this time.

    Zi You seemed to be moved too. She gratefully bowed to Taizi. ¡°Thank you for Taizi¡¯s trust in Chennu.¡±

    She then turned to look at the Emperor. ¡°Emperor, if Imperial Tutor She is willing, Chennu can also hypnotize him. That way his doubts will be resolved. Also, the crystal ball is an ordinary crystal ball. If the officials here don¡¯t believe it, everyone can crush it for verification.¡±

    Zi You handed the crystal ball over.

    A pce servant quickly took it and handed it to the Emperor. The Emperor turned and looked it over a few times before handing it over to the officials. ¡°You can take a look to see if there is anything unusual about it.¡±

    The officials passed it around and it finallynded in Third Wangzi¡¯s hands. Third Wangzi carefully looked it over and volunteered, ¡°Fuwang, Erchen is willing to smash this crystal ball for verification.¡±

    ¡°Permitted!¡± The Emperor immediately allowed it without any hesitation. Actually, he was shocked by Zi You¡¯s hypnosis too.

    A small ball could make someone speak the truth in his sleep. If Zhen can use this ability, then wouldn¡¯t Zhen know what every official, Wangzi, and consort¡¯s real thoughts are? But if she used hypnosis on me, then wouldn¡¯t she know Zhen¡¯s thoughts?

    What a dilemma! Does this Mu Zi You really have some special ability like her mother? Should Zhen kill her or leave her alive? How is it good if Zhen leave her alive, but can¡¯t use her? But if Zhen kills her, will some disaster happen?

    The Emperor looked at the cold, calm, and confident Zi You. He was in a dilemma.

    Humans always feared the unknown. Obviously Zi You¡¯s actions made the suspicious Emperor fearful.

    Zi You guessed what he was thinking by looking at his uncertain face. She seemed to have guessed exactly what he was thinking. She secretly sneered, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    She waited until Third Wangzi had smashed the crystal ball into a pile of broken crystal fragments and handed them over for the Emperor to check. She then said slowly, ¡°Emperor, actually, hypnosis is just psychological suggestion. This method has long existed. There are records of it in ¡®The Yellow Emperor¡¯s Internal Canon.¡¯ If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask the imperial doctors.¡±

    The Emperor was suspicious, so of course he would thoroughly ask questions. He ordered Fourth Gongzhu and Fourth Wangzi to be imprisoned in solitary confinement. Then he appeased the injured officials and their families. Rong Yunhe and his sister were also locked in jail. This matter then came to an end.

    Afterwards, he asked a senior imperial doctor about hypnosis. He even summoned and carefully asked Daoist Priest Tianxuan, whom he trusted.

    The imperial doctor replied, ¡°Replying to Emperor. The ¡®Yellow Emperor¡¯s Internal Canon¡¯ does have records of hypnosis. But Chen has tried many times and did not seed.¡±

    Daoist Priest Tianxuan answered even more simply. ¡°This poor Daoist knows about this method. The hypnosis effect on those with anxiety and fear is very good.¡±

    The Emperor immediately said, ¡°Then can you hypnotize Fourth Gongzhu? Zhen wants to ask her why she did it.¡±

    But Shangguan Lingluo was never hypnotized. Shangguan Lingluo and Fourth Wangzi left behind letters asking for forgiveness. They had both hung themselves in their jail cells.

 Chapter 170 Cunning Empress and Poisonous Woman

    <h4>Chapter 170 Cunning Empress and Poisonous Woman</h4>

    Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s letter said that she was holding a grudge because Zi You had disgraced her in publicst time. She was bent on killing Zi You, but Fuwang and the others did not help her. So she could only threaten her fourth brother to help her. She found Rong Tianyi¡¯s subordinate Wang Haiji to rope in Rong Yunhe to make him want to assassinate the Emperor and make it easy to frame Mu Zi You.

    She learned that the Emperor was summoning the female medical team into the Pce on New Year¡¯s. So, her dozen guards had already made preparations in the Pce. They were waiting for her order to go support Wang Haiji, who was lying in ambush outside, and the Jianghu experts whom she had hired to go assassinate the Emperor in the Pce. She would me it all on Rong Yunhe and force Mu Zi You tomit suicide to apologize for her offense.

    This matter had nothing to do with Fourth Wangzi. He was just coerced by her.

    Fourth Wangzi¡¯s letter was even simpler. It was only a few words. ¡°I havemitted a heinous crime! Erchen apologizes to Fuwang. Erchen will die for his sins!¡±

    The Emperor looked at the letters and angrily shouted, ¡°Animals. In order to seek revenge, they didn¡¯t even care about Zhen, their Fuwang. They really deserve to die!¡±

    He was so angry that he didn¡¯t consider why such a selfish person like Shangguan Lingluo would be willing tomit suicide. He decreed to demote her to the status of amoner. She was hastily buried in a substandard coffin. She was not allowed to be buried in the Imperial Tombs.

    Fourth Wangzi¡¯s treatment was a bit better than hers. He was buried on the edge of the Imperial Tombs, but he didn¡¯t even have a tombstone.

    Yaohua Pce¡¯s pce servants were all flogged to death. Even Rong Yunhe and Rong Qiyan were sentenced to exile.

    After Shangguan Lingluo was buried, the Empress fiercely pped Taizi, who hade to pay respects to her. She scolded in distress, ¡°You¡¯ve made me too disappointed! You can even do this kind of muddleheaded thing. If your Fuwang finds out, do you still want to be Taizi?¡±

    Taizi clutched his face. He pretended not to understand as he said, ¡°Muhou, Erchen doesn¡¯t know what you are talking about. What did Erchen do to make you so angry?¡±

    ¡°Are you still trying to hide it from me?¡± The Empress stared at Taizi as if she hated iron for not being steel. ¡°What woman can you not get? But you just have to tangle with that darned yatou Shangguan Lingluo? Do you know how dangerous that is?

    ¡°I was wondering why that darned yatou hated Mu Zi You so much. So it was because of this. I was actually very happy to see her arrange all this. If she had really seeded, I would have taken the opportunity to seize that old man Mu¡¯s military power for you. But I didn¡¯t think that you would......¡±

    Taizi was stunned silly. He stared at the Empress in disbelief. ¡°Muhou, how did you know?¡±

    The Empress looked contemptuously at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want anyone to know, then don¡¯t do it in the first ce. You think that you did it seamlessly? In fact, as long as other people carefully scrutinize the situation, they will know what happened.

    ¡°Why would your secret guard have an affair with Shangguan Lingluo? Where were you at the time of the incident? Did Yaohua Pce¡¯s pce servants see you leave Yaohua Pce? You left so many loopholes. Your Fuwang just did not think that you and she would...... When he figures it out, can you still sit in Taizi¡¯s position? Idiot!¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Taizi was so scared that wailed. He repeatedly begged the Empress. ¡°Muhou, Muhou, you have to help Erchen. Erchen doesn¡¯t want to lose the position of Taizi.¡±

    The Empress didn¡¯t stop her son from desperately kowtowing. She finally said sinisterly after a while, ¡°I have already dealt with what you should have dealt with. Useless thing. Killing Shangguan Lingluo, but leaving Shangguan Botao. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he knows about your scandal? If you don¡¯t remove the roots when you cut grass, the grass will grow once again with a spring breeze.¡±

    Taizi looked at the Empress in disbelief. He muttered, ¡°So you sent someone to kill Shangguan Botao? Heavens! I thought......¡±

    ¡°What did you think?!¡± The Empress sneered. ¡°How many times have I told you not to leave something behind? But look at you now!¡±

    Taizi lowered his head guiltily. He thought about it and still didn¡¯t understand. He looked up and asked, ¡°Since you know about Erchen and...... her matter, why did you ask grandfather to save her?¡±

    ¡°Idiot!¡± The Empress once again scolded in dissatisfaction. ¡°What kind of person is your Fuwang? Can he be fooled so easily? He is so paranoid. If I didn¡¯t tell your grandfather toe out to interfere and muddle the truth, do you think that your Fuwang won¡¯t doubt your rtionship?

    ¡°Once he doubts your rtionship, he will suspect that you killed Shangguan Lingluo and Shangguan Botao to silence them. But with your grandfather desperately trying to save Shangguan Lingluo on the surface, he will think that I¡¯m not that stupid. If you really had an indecent rtionship with Shangguan Lingluo, the first person who will want to kill Shangguan Lingluo will certainly be me.

    ¡°In that case, I would not ask your grandfather to offend Mu Junyuan to save her. At the same time, he would think that I really loved Shangguan Lingluo. When you stood out to expound justice, not only will you give a good impression to your Fuwang, but even the officials will feel that you are upright and selfless. That can also eliminate the dissatisfaction Mu Junyuan has towards your grandfather.¡±

    After so many turns, Taizi looked at the Empress with a face of worship. ¡°Muhou, you¡¯re too amazing!¡±

    The Empress looked at Taizi and smiled coldly. She said earnestly, ¡°Son, don¡¯t do anything foolish from now on. You have to think twice before you do anything. And stay away from that Mu Zi You. Don¡¯t be mesmerized by her. I feel like Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s death has something to do with her.¡±

    ¡°Erchen sent someone to kill Lingluo.¡± Taizi obviously wanted to defend Zi You. ¡°That darned yatou was too crazy. She couldn¡¯t stay alive. This has nothing to do with You¡¯er.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er?¡± The Empress coldly sneered. ¡°Haha. How intimately you call her. But do you know who went to catch the adulterers? It was her!¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Taizi eximed, ¡°It was clearly third brother and second sister. Muhou, Yunluo resents Erchen so much that she worked together with third brother. They must have wanted to embarrass Erchen. That was why they brought people to Yaohua Pce.¡±

    ¡°I said that you¡¯re stupid, but you don¡¯t admit it!¡± The Empress scolded, ¡°If Mu Zi You didn¡¯t want to question Shangguan Lingluo, then how can the rest of the events happen? Even your third brother has been used by her. Your second sister is obviously a fool because she keeps sticking up for Mu Zi You. You have to be careful in front of her from now on.

    ¡°And there¡¯s also that Shangguan LingRan. I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s that simple. He can use an apple to injure the assassin¡¯s eyes. Can he be a dandy who doesn¡¯t know martial arts? His rtionship with Mu Zi You might not be what it is on the surface, as if they¡¯re a pair of enemies. You know that the ones who end up together are always enemies.¡±

    Taizi no longer spoke up for Zi You. He looked up and said, ¡°Shangguan LingRan will be taken care of sooner orter. He is the only one left in the imperial family with two moles on his forehead. Erchen is also worried. Even if he doesn¡¯t know martial arts, he still needs to be taken care of. Muhou, you can rest assured that Erchen will no longer disappoint you. If Mu Zi You really dares to scheme against Erchen, Erchen will definitely not let her off.¡±

    ¡°En.¡± The Empress waved her hand and finally let Taizi off.

    The General¡¯s Manor

    After Old General Mu returned from the Pce, he said furiously to Zi You and Mu YingYi, ¡°That woman can¡¯t stay here any longer. She must have sent a message to Shangguan Lingluo when Zi You went into the mountains and about the female medical team this time. I will never let her off.¡±

    Zi You thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Then how does grandfather want to deal with her? You can¡¯t kill her, right? Even if she¡¯s worse, she is still father¡¯s wife. If you let her leave, she will go out to harm other people.¡±

    Old General Mu heard his granddaughter¡¯s disapproval. He thought of her performance in the Pce and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then do you think that she should be sent to a temple?¡±

    Zi You sneered. ¡°So what if such a shameless and poisonous woman is sent to a temple? Would she put down her knife and be a devout worshipper of Buddha? No, she would immediately contact someone and pretend to be a victim. She would cry that she was bullied miserably by her husband¡¯s deceased wife¡¯s daughter, father-inw, and brother-inw. It¡¯s better to keep such a woman under our eyes......¡±

    ¡°Lao TaiYe.¡± Zi You hadn¡¯t finished speaking when someone knocked on the door. ¡°Laoye and Furen requests toe in. They said that they are here to offer a humble apology.¡±

    Zi You secretly sneered. See? She knew that she wouldn¡¯t just sit and wait without a fight. She was here already. She certainly received the news quickly.

    Old General Mu angrily mmed his hand down on a table. ¡°Let theme inside. I want to see how this poisonous woman will exin herself.¡±

    Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping walked inside. Both of their heads were wrapped in cloths. They looked a bit funny. But they were tearful and looked inconsble. They didn¡¯t seem to be faking it.

    They both pounced over when they saw Zi You. They wailed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, You¡¯er. It¡¯s mother¡¯s fault. I didn¡¯t discipline my own servant and caused you to encounter danger again and again. No wonder you misunderstood me. It really is mother¡¯s fault!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er, it¡¯s father¡¯s fault. I didn¡¯t expect that that poisonous woman Wei mama will collude with Fourth Gongzhu to repeatedly harm you. If she didn¡¯t tell the truth today, your mother and I wouldn¡¯t know why you hate us.¡±

    Their acting was very good. They cried with tears and snot. They looked like they had wronged their child, caused her to suffer grievances, and were so guilty, regretful, and heartbroken.

    Wang Yiping repeatedly kowtowed to Old General Mu. ¡°Father, it¡¯s your daughter-inw¡¯s fault. I was deceived by my nanny. It turns out...... It turns out that she had always been deceiving me. She had always been sowing discord and dissension.

    ¡°She couldn¡¯t stand the pain and took poison tomit suicide today. That was when I found out that she had sent messages to Fourth Gongzhu to kill You¡¯er. Father, I wronged You¡¯er and med her again and again. I even...... I even have thoughts that I should not have had. Your daughter-inw¡¯s death can¡¯t even make up for my sins.¡±

    Old General Mu looked at her and somewhat believed her. He actually asked, ¡°Did Wei mama tell you to give the drug to You¡¯er to induce her fever? Don¡¯t you have a brain? She told you to harm people and you go harm people?¡±

    Wang Yiping cried heartbreakingly and could barely speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t know...... didn¡¯t know that the drug was so powerful. You¡¯er and I...... weren¡¯t close. I was worried, so...... So I fell into Wei mama¡¯s trap. And...... Imperial Doctor Qin guaranteed that the drug had no toxic side effects. So...... So that was why I...... Wuu...... Father, I was wrong. I was very wrong. You....... You should have Laoye divorce...... divorce me. Or...... Or you can kill your daughter-inw!¡±

    She then rushed at Old General Mu and kowtowed like a chick pecking rice. The cloth on her head was knocked off. Skin was scraped off her forehead.

    Mu YingYi couldn¡¯t stand seeing this anymore. He looked at Zi You and then at Mu YingRui. ¡°Brother, this is your fault. Sister-inw is young, so she can¡¯t help but be instigated by others......¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Mu YingRui¡¯s attitude was extremely sincere. ¡°This matter shouldn¡¯t be med on your sister-inw. I had agreed back then when she asked me. I wished that You¡¯er and her mother would be close as soon as possible. It wasn¡¯t good if they were so estranged, right? We were anxious so we lost our reason and fell into someone else¡¯s trap.¡±

    After exining to Mu YingYi, Mu YingRui rushed to desperately beg Old General Mu. ¡°Father, Ping¡¯er knows that she was wrong. She just found out from Wei mama that Fourth Gongzhu wanted to frame the female medical team for assassinating the Emperor. She anxiously wanted me to deliver a message to the Pce. But you returned just as I was about to go.

    ¡°Ping¡¯er was so regretful that she wanted to kill herself. She was too ashamed toe and plead her sins. She wanted me to divorce her. But...... But I have been married twice already. If I really divorce her, my reputation would be ruined. Father, please be magnanimous and forgive us this one time. We will treat You¡¯er very well in the future.¡±

    Mu YingRui loudly cried. ¡°Ping¡¯er is so young. What will she do if I divorce her? Can¡¯t our General¡¯s Manor tolerate someone changing and correcting their mistakes?¡±

    Zi You looked at their exciting performance and almost wanted to p in admiration. Her g father, especially, was soft- and kind-hearted. His sentence of ¡°Can¡¯t our General¡¯s Manor tolerate someone changing and correcting their mistakes?¡± did indeed move her grandfather.

    Old General Mu sighed. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°You dare to swear that Zi You going into the mountains was not something that Nee Wang had Wei mama tell Fourth Gongzhu?¡±

    Mu YingRui froze for a moment, but Wang Yiping immediately kowtowed and swore an oath. ¡°If it was done by me, then I will die miserably.¡±

    As she was speaking, she was inwardly cursing Old General Mu. You old b*stard! You¡¯re the one who will die miserably. I¡¯m going to live thousands of years and watch you and your precious granddaughter go to hell! I¡¯m not your daughter-inw. I¡¯m the King of Hell who is here to take you and your granddaughter¡¯s life!

    Zi You heard Wang Yiping¡¯s oath and couldn¡¯t help but inwardly praise her. How ruthless! This is a vicious and poisonous person who can be ruthless to herself too. You¡¯re not afraid of retribution?

    If Zi You had not experienced her previous life, she would have been deceived by Wang Yiping too. But the pain from her previous life was too deep. It reminded her not to trust her at all times.

    But her grandfather obviously believed this shameless poisonous woman. That was because oaths in this day and age would convince a lot of people.

    Zi You looked up. Sure enough, her grandfather was looking guiltily at her.

 Chapter 171 Conspiracy is Exposed, The Consequences Are Dire

    <h4>Chapter 171 Conspiracy is Exposed, The Consequences Are Dire</h4>

    Zi You understood that even if her grandfather was even angrier at her g father, her g father was ultimately his son. His bloodline and familial affection were on Mu YingRui. Her grandfather must really hope that his son and daughter-inw would truly repent and that this family would be harmonious.

    But she did not want to spare this dog couple. She also could not tell her grandfather the truth. If her grandfather was really furious, he might really kill the dog couple.

    They didn¡¯t deserve to be killed with her grandfather¡¯s Longyin Sword that was used to kill enemies.

    Besides, she did not want to tell her grandfather that she could psychicallymunicate with animals, lest he worried. The hypnosis matter was already enough for him to worry.

    On the way back from the Pce, her grandfather had frowned and asked her, ¡°When did you learn hypnosis? Howe I never heard you talk about it? You shouldn¡¯t have showed off this skill in front of the Emperor. I fear that he will be more vignt towards our General¡¯s Manor now. This child. Why didn¡¯t you talk to your grandfather beforehand?¡±

    She had no choice but to appease her grandfather. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather. Granddaughter thought that the Emperor might value my ability after knowing about it. I didn¡¯t discuss with you, grandfather, because the situation didn¡¯t allow me too. As you saw, Fourth Wangzi and Imperial Tutor She wanted to drag Rong Yunhe down. If I didn¡¯t protect him, not only me, but even the General¡¯s Manor will suffer.¡±

    However, these words did not lessen her grandfather¡¯s worry about her. She could tell that from his frowning forehead.

    Thus, she really didn¡¯t want to make her grandfather worry about her matters. If she could handle everything, she would not involve him.

    Zi You thought to here and went over to help her g father and the poisonous woman up. ¡°Father, mother, since things are like this, you shouldn¡¯t me yourselves. How can a person live without making any mistakes? Moreover, daughter never resented you like you thought. You¡¯ve thought too much. As long as you sincerely treat daughter in the future, daughter will be filial towards to you.¡±

    However, I absolutely will not let you use this trick to get away and escape punishment. Although Zi You did not say these words out loud, her pair of deep eyes stared meaningfully at her g father and the poisonous woman. Her gaze was like a sword, making the two people shiver.

    Mu YingRui smiled awkwardly and nodded. ¡°Of course. Of course. I only have you as a Di daughter. How can I not care about you?¡±

    Wang Yiping was obviously more sinister than Mu YingRui. She took Zi You¡¯s hand with her octopus tentacles. Her attitude was very sincere. ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m sorry. Mother med you. Mother will treat you sincerely in the future. I¡¯m asking you to ept mother. Can we get along well in the future?¡±

    Zi You secretly sneered. You still treat me like the fool I was in my previous life? Don¡¯t think about deceiving me in this lifetime. Get along? How is that possible? Rong Yunhe and his sister are still in jail. Even if they can safely escape from danger, Weishali and Shangguan LingRan were injured so badly. Don¡¯t think that you don¡¯t have to pay a price......

    Zi You extracted her hand and smiled meaningfully. She curtsied to Old General Mu and softly said, ¡°But the Emperor already knows that it was someone from mother¡¯s side who repeatedly sent letters to Fourth Gongzhu. Although Wei mama is dead, as Wei mama¡¯s master, even if mother says that she doesn¡¯t know what was going on, the Emperor will surely pursue the crime of ipetent discipline.

    ¡°If grandfather doesn¡¯t do anything, granddaughter is afraid that the Emperor will be furious. That will be bring a greater disaster to mother. He might even kill mother. Don¡¯t you think so, grandfather?¡±

    Old General Mu was reminded by Zi You and immediately red at Wang Yiping. This poisonous woman! He was almost fooled by her acting skills. His granddaughter was right. Even if you didn¡¯t tell her to do it, how could you not know even a little bit about what your confidant nanny was doing?

    Besides, he did indeed need to give the Emperor an exnation. Old General Mu pondered and immediately said to Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping, ¡°A country has itsws and a family has their rules. You¡¯ve repeatedlymitted so many wrongdoings, so how can you not be punished?

    ¡°Especially you, Nee Wang. Because of your nanny, Fourth Gongzhu is reduced to amoner and locked in jail. That is because you werex in disciplining your servants. If Wei mama didn¡¯t send letters, Fourth Gongzhu wouldn¡¯t have any chances to harm You¡¯er even if she wanted to. You must be severely punished. You will be beaten thirty times with the military rod, confined in the small courtyard next to the ancestral hall, and will not be allowed to go out.¡±

    ¡°And you, Mu YingRui. You are a man, but was instigated by a woman. Even if you like her, you cannot treat your deceased wife¡¯s daughter badly. You will be beaten twenty times with the military rod. From today on, you will be confined to the study. You will not be allowed to take one step out of the study. Both of you will wait for the Emperor¡¯s punishment.¡±

    Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui were first stunned and then cried for mercy. They both secretly cursed Zi You and Old General Mu. If it wasn¡¯t for Zi You¡¯s speech, they would probably be able to escape today.

    Wang Yiping bent her head. She almost gnashed her teeth into pieces. In fact, she had thought that Zi You wouldn¡¯t be able to return today. That was because the plot that she and Shangguan Lingluo hade up with did not allow for Zi You to return.

    Shangguan Lingluo and Nee Chen¡¯s original plot was to have Shangguan Lingluo give the aphrodisiac to Zi You. Then they would get Zhao HongXiang to privately meet with her. When the aphrodisiac took effect, Zi You would certainly entangle with Zhao HongXiang. Zhao HongXiang was a lecher, so he would never hold back.

    Then Yu Lanxuan would immediately call people over to catch them in the act. Nee Chen would say that Zi You¡¯s innocence was destroyed and her reputation was damaged as an excuse to demote her from a main wife to a concubine. After Zi You married, then Nee Chen would find a way to make Yu Lanxuan the main wife.

    It was Wang Yiping herself who was afraid that this wasn¡¯t enough, so she had added another plot. ¡°The ves whom Mu Zi You bought are all children of criminal officials. If something affects them, then won¡¯t it affect her too? We should try to incite those ves to assassinate the Emperor. It will be a death sentence as long as one of them tries to assassinate the Emperor.

    ¡°As a result, even Mu Junyuan and Mu YingYi will be implicated. The furious Emperor wouldn¡¯t pay them any heed when they plead for mercy. This will give them a critical hit. Otherwise, even if her reputation is ruined and she bes Shizi¡¯s concubine, can you still treat her badly with Mu Junyuan and Duke Yongnan supporting her?

    ¡°But this will only work if the ves have an opportunity to go see the Emperor in the Pce.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo had immediately run to the Emperor to fan the mes. ¡°Fuwang, Erchen went to the medical clinic and saw Mu Xiaojie and her female medical team. There are a lot ofmoners being treated by them. It¡¯s just that Erchen wonders what their medical skills are like? Fuwang, you should summon the female medical team into the Pce and test them. They are the first female medical team in Great Yan. You can¡¯t have them shame you.¡±

    The Emperor was reminded by Shangguan Lingluo and immediately said thoughtfully, ¡°En. The ves have been learning for four months now. Zhen should see how Mu Zi You reformed them.¡±

    Reformed? Haha...... Shangguan Lingluo had secretly smiled. Fuwang actually used this word. So it seemed that he wasn¡¯t assured about the children of criminal officials.

    That was even better. Mu Zi You could only die for her sins if there was a conspiracy to assassinate him then.

    The Emperor had then decreed, ¡°On New Year¡¯s, summon Mu Xiaojie and the female medical team into the Pce.¡±

    Shangguan Lingluo had immediately sent the news to Wang Yiping and had Yu Lanxuan take over this important task.

    Yu Lanxuan was ecstatic. She had left a sentence on the letter that she had a servant send. ¡°Aunt, you have to kill Mu Zi You this time, no matter what!!! I¡¯m angry every time I see her.¡±

    Thus, when she had found out that the female medical team would be in the market on the 29th, Wang Yiping had immediately notified Yu Lanxuan.

    Yu Lanxuan had quickly told Shangguan Lingluo.

    Shangguan Lingluo was ecstatic! The heavens were even helping her. You¡¯re going to die this time, Mu Zi You!

    Shangguan Lingluo was prepared to strike a fatal blow at Zi You. She had sent the rest of her guards out. ¡°Cooperate with Wang Haiji. Put the me on that Rong Yunhe.¡±

    She had then ruthlessly gnashed her teeth and had said, ¡°If possible, it¡¯s best if Old General Mu, Young General Mu, Mu Zi You, and the Emp...... the Emperor dies.¡±

    If Fuwang died, then Taizi gege would ascend to the throne. Then he could logically take the military power away from Old General Mu. Then he wouldn¡¯t need to think about Mu Zi You anymore.

    But the plot failed. Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s aphrodisiac somehow was not sessfully given to Mu Zi You. Yu Lanxuan¡¯s maidservant had told Shangguan Lingluo that Yu Lanxuan had sessfully blocked Duke Yongnan Shizi and bewitched him.

    Then Yu Lanxuan had told Zhao HongXiang, ¡°Zi You jiejie is already engaged to you, Shizi. How can she publicly be with Taizi and Third Wangzi together? She doesn¡¯t know how to be reserved. How will this reflect on Shizi? Shizi Ye, let me go with you to find You jiejie.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan had then taken Zhao HongXiang to find Mu Zi You because she had wanted to wait for the aphrodisiac to take effect. She would lure Zi You over to Zhao HongXiang while Yu Lanxuan herself would bring people to catch them in the act.

    But they had gone to Ronghua Pce Hall to see the scene of Zi You walking out of the plum blossom grove to question Shangguan Lingluo. Yu Lanxuan had seen that Zi You looked normal and didn¡¯t seem to be affected by an aphrodisiac. She had known that the n had failed. She had quickly sent a maidservant out of the Pce to inform Wang Yiping.

    Wang Yiping had been gloomy and fantasized that her second n would seed.

    However, Song Er, the son of her nanny Wei mama, who was sent to wait for news at the Pce, had run back in a fluster to tell her that, ¡°Lao TaiYe, Second Laoye, and Xiaojie have returned from the Pce.¡±

    Wang Yiping then immediately had known that her n had failed. It must be said that she was a formidable figure. She knew that her n had failed and that Fourth Gongzhu would be exposed. In order to save herself, she had immediately hardened her heart, gritted her teeth, and brought poison to where Wei mama was. She had then personally fed her the poisoned decoction.

    There was no other way. In order to save herself, she could only sacrifice her nanny. That was because Wei mama was the person sent to contact her maiden family. Wei mama knew too much of her dirty deeds. If the n failed, Wang Yiping could not leave her alive.

    She had watched Wei mama bleed from her seven orifices and gasped for breath. It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t sad. Wei mama had raised her since she was young. It wasn¡¯t that she had no feelings for her. But what did these feelings count as if she had to save herself?

    She had then found Mu YingRui and looked heartbreakingly sad. She had cried, ¡°Laoye, Wei mama justmitted suicide. Bieqie just found out that she was bribed by Fourth Gongzhu and wanted to kill You¡¯er.

    ¡°It was she who sent a message to Fourth Gongzhu when You¡¯er went into the mountainsst time. Not only that, but she took advantage of this time when the female medical team is going into the Pce to send a letter to Fourth Gongzhu to incite the female medical team to assassinate the Emperor.

    ¡°Laoye, you have to hurry and send a letter to father. Tell him to be careful and not......¡±

    ¡°Lao TaiYe, Second Laoye, and Mu Xiaojie are back.¡±

    But Wang Yiping had not finished speaking, when she heard that they had all returned.

    Mu YingRui had been angry and anxious. He had kicked her and harshly scolded, ¡°Are you crazy? If something happens to father, we will follow him too. Tell me if you are behind this.¡±

    How could Wang Yiping dare to tell the truth? She had ced scissors at her chest and said, ¡°Laoye, in order to prove Bieqie¡¯s innocence, Bieqie will use death to prove it to you.¡±

    How could Mu YingRui let her die? He took the scissors and angrily said, ¡°Idiot! It¡¯s useless if I believe you. You need father and them to believe you. What are we going to do now?¡±

    Wang Yiping copsed to the ground and cried, ¡°What else can we do? Bieqie will be at father and You¡¯er¡¯s disposal. It¡¯s just that Bieqie cannot serve Laoye anymore. We will be separated. Please take care, Laoye. On Tomb Sweeping Day every year, remember to burn some paper money...... on Bieqie¡¯s...... on Bieqie¡¯s grave.¡±

    How could Mu YingRui be willing to part with her? After all, she had stuck to him like glue. Being husband and wife for one night meant one hundred days of grace. And it wasn¡¯t only night that they had spent together.

    Mu YingRui immediately said to her, ¡°You can onlye with me to father and beg for him and You¡¯er¡¯s forgiveness to save me and you. Otherwise, after the New Year, we will be dead if he brings up the old grievances with the news.¡±

    As such, they had acted in such a y. They had hoped to move Old General Mu and escape. But they had not expected that just as they were about to seed, it would all be ruined by Zi You. She also made them suffer.

    Flogged by military rods thirty times! Wouldn¡¯t their legs be broken? But they would also be locked in the rundown courtyard holding sacrificial objects next to the ancestral hall. They panicked just thinking about it.

    The key point was that, after they were released from there, what prestige would they have? Who would listen to them?

    Wang Yiping gnashed her teeth in hatred. Mu YingRui was also angered until his liver hurt! He had to be beaten again. He had been beaten almost every time that he came back. He would have to recuperate in bed for half a month after being beaten twenty times with military rods. He would be injured a lot more being beaten with military rods than with boards.

    The person beating Wang Yiping was Aunt Lan. Her martial arts were not weak. She was also very loyal to Dier. Her liver had long pained from anger due to Wang Yiping repeatedly scheming against Zi You. Thus, it could be imagined how unbearable the pain Wang Yiping suffered when Aunt Lan was carrying out the familyws.

    One military rod smacked down and all the color on Wang Yiping¡¯s small face had disappeared. Cold sweat instantly soaked through her inner clothing.

 Chapter 172.1 Bite You to Death, You Lecher!

    <h4>Chapter 172.1 Bite You to Death, You Lecher!</h4>

    Zi You had ordered someone to gag her, so Wang Yiping could only grunt.

    Zi You shed tears and looked unbearably heartbroken. She went over to her and used a handkerchief to wipe her sweat off. ¡°Endure it, mother. I know that it hurts, but it¡¯s still better than the Emperor taking your life!¡±

    She then took the opportunity to lean close to her and whisper, ¡°Slut! How does it feel? This is just the beginning.¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s vicious eyes looked at her. Her gaze was like arrows dipped in venom. She wanted to turn into a million arrows and shoot Zi You through the heart.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes mocked her. She deliberately cried to Aunt Lan, ¡°Have mercy, Aunt Lan! Don¡¯t hurt mother until she falls ill......¡±

    Aunt Lan nodded. Being beaten with the military rod thirty times wouldn¡¯t kill you, but it could waste your legs and leave you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.

    The person carrying the familyws on Mu YingRui was Uncle Jiang. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t let Mu YingRui getfortable. The coward fainted away by the fifth hit.

    In the end, they were dragged away like dead pigs.

    They hated Zi You even more now. But they didn¡¯t think about what they had done or how much harm they themselves had brought to Zi You.

    Regarding Rong Yunhe and Rong Qiyan¡¯s exile, Zi You knelt for more than two hours in front of Chengguang Pce Hall before the Emperor had agreed to see her.

    It was the fifth. The officials were still on holiday leave. Thus, there was only Zi You alone in the white marbled Chengguang Pce Hall.

    She knelt there alone and proudly. Her small body seemed even smaller in the big hall, making everyone unable to ignore her.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were so anxious that their foreheads were covered with sweat. They knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade her and even wanted to lock her in the house.

    But Zi You had said to them, ¡°They aren¡¯t ves anymore. They are myrades from the day that I brought them into the house. I can¡¯t abandon them before we go into battle. They didn¡¯tmit a sin. If they are exiled, then they would be convicted of a sin. In that case, I am not qualified to stay here either. I should be punished with them.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan knew that she was kneeling there and couldn¡¯t sit still.

    He ran to Jingyang Pce and fanned the mes with the Empress Dowager. ¡°Imperial grandmother, that idiot is still kneeling there. If she kneels anymore, she will lose her legs. She is the female medical team¡¯smander whom you have high hopes for. If she¡¯s crippled before she sets off for battle, it will be a huge joke.¡±

    The Empress Dowager was old, but wise. She looked at her grandson anxiously jumping up and down. Although he still had his mischievous and carefree smile, the anxiety in his eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden from the Empress Dowager.

    The Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Silly child. She is already engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi. Why do you still care about her?¡±

    ¡°Who cares about her?¡± Shangguan LingRan denied it. ¡°Grandson is only thinking about how you and imperial uncle should not be reprimanded. Rong Yunhe and his sister obviously did not attempt to assassinate imperial uncle. But if we exile them, won¡¯t we be wronging them?

    ¡°Moreover, once the siblings are exiled, wouldn¡¯t that idiot give up her head? She had vowed that those ves wouldn¡¯t seek revenge. Do you want to see her die or crippled? Imperial grandmother, it¡¯s the New Year. Can you be so cruel?¡±

    The Empress Dowager had no other choice. She sent her confidant eunuch to tell the Emperor, ¡°Mu Zi You is the first female medical team¡¯smander supported by Aijia.¡±

    Even if the Emperor was unhappy after he heard the words that his Muhou¡¯s eunuch had said, he could not insist any longer. One had to look a dog¡¯s master if one wanted to beat it. The Empress Dowager was pretty much telling him: Aijia is backing Mu Zi You. Don¡¯t go too far.

    The Emperor looked at Zi You and asked her in displeasure, ¡°You will do all this for two ves who want to seek revenge against Zhen. Aren¡¯t you afraid that they will harm Great Yan¡¯s soldiers when they are with the army in the future?¡±

    ¡°Emperor.¡± Zi You kowtowed and argued, ¡°They don¡¯t want to seek revenge. You also saw it. Rong Yunhe stabbed the assassin and didn¡¯t point his sword at you. Rong Qiyan never thought about seeking revenge from the beginning to the end.

    ¡°Emperor, Chennu is a girl and don¡¯t understand politics. But Chennu knows that grace should bebined with severity instead of having ruthless policies. If you let the siblings off this time, they will certainly be grateful and won¡¯t be traitorous.

    ¡°The rest of the ves will also learn the lesson and understand what the path that they should choose is. Emperor, let the siblings obtain meritorious service to make up for their sins. You can write this sin down for now. If they joined the battlefield and obtained merit, that will offset their sins. If they do not, you can punish them for both sins, along with Chennu then.¡±

    The Emperor looked at the twelve-year-old girl who was already so beautiful that one was reluctant to look away from her. He thought for a while and finally showed s a self-ming and doting smile. ¡°Zhen will release them to protect you then. Otherwise, if Zhen don¡¯t punish you, how will Zhen be able to convince everyone? Yatou, remember Zhen¡¯s painstaking efforts.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your grace, Emperor! Chennu will remember the Emperor¡¯s care and trust.¡± Zi You kowtowed and smiled gratefully at him.

    Her bright smile was as elegant and aloof as a hibiscus emerging from the water. The Emperor¡¯s heart shook and his mood improved.

    His smile became meaningful and his words held an even deeper meaning. ¡°Yatou, you have to remember. Only Zhen can give you everything that you want in this world.¡±

    Zi You looked at his dark eyes and turned cold! She pretended to look na?ve and innocent and nodded. ¡°Yes, Chennu understands. Chennu will tell Emperor first if Chennu wants anything in the future.¡±

    Rong Yunhe and his sister returned. Rong Yunhe knew that Zi You had knelt for two hours in front of Chengguang Pce Hall for them. So, after he returned, he knelt outside Youran Ju¡¯s courtyard.

    Zi You did not make him get up. She called him into her grandfather¡¯s study after he knelt for a full two hours.

    She stared at him with no expression on her face. Rong Yunhe finally said, with a guilty expression, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Commander. I harmed you......¡±

    She coldly said, ¡°You should be sorry to me, but you should be sorrier to your parents and the other forty-nine ves who have escaped from hell with you! Didn¡¯t your parents tell you that you should live well with your sister and not seek revenge?

    ¡°Have you ever thought that the forty-nine ves will be executed whether the assassination was sessful or not? I already told you to cherish the chance to begin a new life. But you? It¡¯s only been four months since you have escaped from hell and you¡¯ve already forgotten the nonhuman days. You also almost made your sister and yourrades follow and suffer with you.

    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t follow me anymore. I, Mu Zi You, don¡¯t have such a brainless fool who doesn¡¯t listen to orders as a subordinate!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Rong Yunhe clearly did not expect that Zi You would drive him away. He started to anxiously kowtow. ¡°I¡¯m not going. You can punish me as you wish. Just don¡¯t make me leave.¡±

    ¡°Commander!¡± Rong Qiyan rushed inside. She kowtowed alongside her brother. ¡°Please spare my brother this time. He won¡¯t dare to anymore.¡±

    Zi You coldly said, ¡°A country has its ownws. An army has an army¡¯s discipline. How will I dare to keep any soldiers who are disloyal to me around?¡±

    Rong Yunhe felt as if someone stabbed his heart. He felt guilty and wronged. Truthfully speaking, he really wanted to seek revenge for his parents and brothers. Especially his brothers. One was twenty years old and one was seventeen years old. They really died too unjustly.

    But when Wang Haiji found him that day, he had only hesitated for two minutes before refusing him. It wasn¡¯t for anything else, but for Xiaojie and his sister.

    He had originally thought that Zi You bought them to be killers or to do some immoral things. So, he had once thought that if Zi You wished to harm him and his sister, he would kill her and escape with his sister.

    But he had never thought that she bought them to form a female medical team. He had worried in the beginning that his sister used to be a noble xiaojie. He was very conflicted to have her go save the crude male soldiers.

    But he had been impressed when he had seen Zi You diligently practicing martial arts and medical skills like the ves all day, in preparation for going with them to the battlefield to treat the wounded. He had admired this outwardly cold, but inwardly fervent little girl.

    Then he had learned martial arts and medical skills alongside Zi You for eight to ten hours every day. They had lived and studied together. He had listened to her lectures about life. The more he came into contact with her, the more he had admired this xiaojie who was younger than him by two years. He had felt that she was not the same as ordinary noble xiaojies.

    He secretly looked at his little master, who wasparable to a snow lotus, with admiration every day. He looked at her quietly and with no confidence. He didn¡¯t dare to ask for anything. He only wanted to look at her from afar like this and silently wish her good fortune.

 Chapter 172.2 Bite You to Death, You Lecher!

    <h4>Chapter 172.2 Bite You to Death, You Lecher!</h4>

    But if he didn¡¯t have this in the future, he didn¡¯t know what he would do. It was as if his life had suddenly lost all meaning. He was flustered.

    Rong Yunhe silently kowtowed. Rong Qiyan¡¯s tears covered her face. She begged, ¡°Commander, I will watch my brother in the future. Please, please forgive him just this once.¡±

    ¡°Please forgive Captain Rong, Commander!¡± Orderly and loud voices came from outside.

    Moyun came inside to report. ¡°Xiaojie, the female medical team members are all kneeling outside the yard.¡±

    A gratified smile finally appeared on Zi You¡¯s face. Not bad. They knew how to be unified. She really would cry without tears if she didn¡¯t get anything in return for her four months of hard work. The matter this time was both a bad and good thing. At least, these people learned a good lesson.

    Zi You stood up and said to Rong Yunhe and Rong Qiyan, ¡°Go out and line up.¡±

    Rong Yunhe first froze before smiling ecstatically. Hisrge and round eyes held tears. He rubbed his eyes and quickly ran out. He stood at the head of the first team.

    Zi You stood in the front and looked majestically at the members. She said loudly, ¡°I will repeat myself. You fifty-one people, the fifty of you plus me, are one. If one person makes a mistake, the other fifty people will be implicated. So, I hope that you will all think about your other fiftyrades before you do anything.

    ¡°Are you willing to push yourrades into hell because of your own hatred? There aren¡¯t many chances to start a new life. There might not be a second or third chance. Please cherish it.

    ¡°Rong Yunhe knew about the matter, but did not report it. He had the intention to seek revenge. Not only did not he not get his revenge, but he also implicated us. From now on, he is no longer the captain of team one. Team one¡¯s captain will be Sun Changsheng. Rong Yunhe will be beaten twenty times with boards and confined for three days.

    ¡°All leave is cancelled. Resume practicing martial arts and attending sses tomorrow.¡±

    There were consequences to making mistakes. Zi You wanted these people to firmly remember this. So, they first tied sandbags to their legs and climbed mountains early the next morning in training. The military training in the mountains was also moved up from the 16th to the 11th.

    Shangguan LingRan came to Hundred Herb Garden that night. Zi You had changed from being angry and resistant to being ustomed to himing. She had changed several arrays already. Even her grandfather had to spend a lot of effort toe inside. But this rascal slipped in quicker and quicker every time.

    So many things had happened during the daytime. Although most of it was arranged in advance, there were some idents. Zi You knew that he would certainlye tonight. Thus, she prepared a pot of Lu¡¯an tea and some snacks. She waited for him while reading.

    The rascal broke through the Yin Yang Taichi Array. His actions were elegant and light as he flew in front of Zi You.

    He looked at the tea and snacks that she had prepared. He looked at her sitting at a table and quietly reading a book. It was like she was a wife waiting for her husband who had gone out and was returningte.

    Shangguan LingRan happily reclined near Zi You. He revealed a devilishly charming smile. ¡°Wife, are you waiting for your husband?¡±

    Zi You seemed to have been used to his teasing. She looked coldly at him. ¡°You still have the time to speak nonsense? You used your martial arts today. The Emperor and Empress are not fools. They may soon guess that you know martial arts. You call me stupid, but you¡¯re the stupid one. Why did you expose your martial arts in front of everyone?¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Shangguan LingRan looked happily at her. His phoenix eyes shone brightly like the stars gathered in the night sky.

    Because his body was very close to Zi You, Zi You could smell the bamboo scent on his body. It was very different from the strong sandalwood scent on other men¡¯s bodies. It was faintly fresh-smelling and gave people a sense of rxation.

    Zi You admitted that she really liked the scent on Shangguan LingRan¡¯s body. It was clear and fresh andpletely different from that g male Zhao HongXiang¡¯s sandalwood and rouge scent in her previous life.

    Didn¡¯t he spend all day in a brothel? How could there not be a rouge scent on him? Zi You was curious and couldn¡¯t help but look at him.

    This one nce made her involuntarily freeze.

    Shangguan LingRan was leaning on a chair. One hand was propped under his chin. His elbow was leaning on the rosewood table. His long hair flowed down like a waterfall. His cor was slightly open, revealing white skin, his sensual neck, and sexy Adam ¡¯s apple. His dark gold cor contrasted against his white robe. The feeling of him being so pure that he must be a demon burst out at this moment.

    His phoenix eyes slightly narrowed. He lookedzily and affectionately at her, emitting moving brilliance.

    Zi You¡¯s heart jumped and she looked away in panic. Her heart scolded, ¡®Evil spirit! No wonder you¡¯re a dandy, but can still mesmerize people. You¡¯re really an evil spirit!¡¯

    Seeing Zi You avert her eyes and her pretty face flush red, Shangguan LingRanughed out loud. ¡°What is it, wife? Are you satisfied with your husband¡¯s appearance?¡±

    Zi You became angry and kicked him.

    But there was a huge disparity between their martial arts. She was wearing ck and red threaded Cloud Brocade boots. Her boot hadn¡¯tnded on Shangguan LingRan¡¯s body before he caught it.

    ¡°Ah! New shoes?¡± Shangguan LingRan wasn¡¯t angry, butughed instead. ¡°You¡¯er, you can just say it if you have new shoes that you want your husband to see. You don¡¯t have to send it to your husband in such a special way like this. But your husband thinks that the exquisite jade-like foot inside is much better-looking than these shoes.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Zi You¡¯s shoe and sock were taken off. A delicate and small jade-like foot was held in his palm.

    The heat from Shangguan LingRan¡¯s palm spread from her foot to her calf.

    Zi You could only feel a stream of heat spread throughout her body. Even her internal organs seemed to be heated by his palm.

    A female¡¯s feet shouldn¡¯t be seen by anyone. It was as holy as her body. This lecher was so presumptuous. He really deserved to die!

    Zi You forcefully suppressed the heat in her body and started to attack him. Darned evil spirit! Even if she couldn¡¯t beat him, she still had to hit him. She couldn¡¯t let him take advantage of her in vain.

    Zi You stubbornly attacked. She bit her lip as her hands rained beautiful plum blossoms and attacked Shangguan LingRan¡¯s twelve acupuncture points.

    This was a technique that she had invented herself ¡ª Plum Blossom Palm.

    ¡°Beautiful technique!¡± Shangguan LingRan praised. One hand held Zi You¡¯s small foot and one hand flew to block Zi You¡¯s attack.

    They fought back and forth and exchanged fifty moves. Zi You saw that her foot was still caught in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand and he only used one hand to beat her carefully developed Plum Blossom Palm.

    She was breathless from anger and red at Shangguan LingRan. She suddenly covered her face and started crying. ¡°You scoundrel! You¡¯re like this every time. If someone finds out, I don¡¯t need to live anymore.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan saw how she was like a little lion baring her ws and fighting desperately against him one second, but cried like a child in the next second.

    Her appearance was so much more vivid and cuter than before. He couldn¡¯t help but smile dotingly. His heart was a mess.

    He gently pulled Zi You¡¯s jade-like foot. Zi You¡¯s body tilted and she immediately fell into his arms. Shended on hisp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, You¡¯er. Your crying makes me distressed.¡± He raised his hand to clumsily wipe the tears for his little woman. But he did not expect that Zi You would turn into a little lion once again. She grabbed his hand and bit down hard.

    Zi You bit very hard. She let go of Shangguan LingRan when she tasted a fishy and bloody taste in her mouth.

    You think I¡¯m easy to bully? Zi You angrily scolded, ¡°I¡¯ll bite you to death, you lecher!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at the circle of teeth print on his hand. Some ces were oozing drops of blood. He was not only not angry, but he stretched his tongue out and gently licked the drops of blood where she had bitten.

    His face was intoxicated as he praised, ¡°Really fragrant!¡±

    ¡°Rogue! Scoundrel!¡± Zi You blushed once again. She didn¡¯t know how to handle this rascal.

    She was cunning because she had been reborn. But that didn¡¯t mean that she knew how to handle a mischievous rascal like Shangguan LingRan.

    That was true especially since she and that g male didn¡¯t do any *** things in her previous life. Soon after marriage, her grandfather and uncle had had idents. And the g male¡¯s affections had changed. It could be said that Zi You was very pitiful. She didn¡¯t understand love at all.

    Her charm and enchantment were learned from Shui Youlian to deal with Zhao HongXiang.

    But they were not only useless against Shangguan LingRan, but they might make him even crazier. Zi You shook her head in annoyance.

    He stayed in a brothel all day long. What kind of enchanting woman had he not seen before? She was just an unripe fruit in front of him......

    Zi You felt a deep sense of helplessness. If she kept on fighting with him, he might treat it as flirting and be more proud.

    Thus, her face stiffened and she wanted to break away from his arms.

    But Shangguan LingRan held her tightly. She simply could not break out of his grasp.

    Zi You was angry and said, ¡°It¡¯s true that we are allies. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can touch me and insult me as you wish. I can¡¯t beat you, but that doesn¡¯t mean that you can insult me. Shangguan LingRan, our alliance is at an end. Don¡¯t me me for being impolite if you keep speaking nonsense and doing whatever you want. Let go of me!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was being smug. He had been thinking, ¡®Does this count as an indirect kiss between me and You¡¯er? Her saliva smelled nice. I tasted it. Haha......¡¯

    But the little yatou instantly changed and startled him! He looked up. The little yatou was really angry. Her body seemed to be shrouded in ayer of frost. Even her beautiful eyes didn¡¯t hold anger, but bone-chilling coldness.

    Shangguan LingRan suddenly panicked. He let go of Zi You and was at a loss. He tried to fawn over her incoherently. ¡°You¡¯er, why are you angry? I swear that I wasn¡¯t insulting you. I really wanted to get intimate, no, get closer to you. Don¡¯t be angry. I will be distressed if you¡¯re angry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still talking? You¡¯re just like them. You only know how to bully me.¡± Zi You thought of how she had been living amidst schemes and conspiracies. She was extremely aggrieved. Her eyes reddened and were immediately covered with ayer of tears.

    Shangguan LingRan thought of everything that she had experienced during the day. He was immediately upset.

    The little yatou was going to turn thirteen on March 23rd. But she had to fight with adults all day long. It really was hard on her.

    Although he truly liked her and wanted to get close to her, she was still young and didn¡¯t necessarily understand emotions. He was so hasty, so it was no wonder that she would be upset. He was indeed in the wrong this time.

    Shangguan LingRan realized that he was wrong. But how could he apologize with his personality?

 Chapter 173 Not a Good Place to Kick

    <h4>Chapter 173 Not a Good ce to Kick</h4>

    He walked over to Zi You and jealousy said, while twisting logic, ¡°You¡¯re unreasonable. You can treat that b*stard Zhao HongXiang¡¯s leg and Second Wangzi¡¯s paralysis and have contact with them. But why won¡¯t you let me touch you?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Zi You saw him acting like a rogue and was even angrier. She didn¡¯t even think about it and lifted her leg with a boot on it and kicked him again.

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t dodge or resist this time. He was coincidentally kicked by Zi You in his groin.

    Thus, this fellow went, ¡°Ouch¡± and clutched his ***. He fell to the ground in pain.

    Zi You didn¡¯t think that he wouldn¡¯t have dodged or resisted. The ce that she had kicked and that he was clutching now was a man¡¯s fatal area. At first she thought that he was faking it, but his face was pale and his forehead was covered with sweat. She started to panic a little.

    Her heart was stuffy. She thought that if that area was broken, a man¡¯s life was finished. She was so scared that she forgot to be angry. She went over to him and bent down to ask, ¡°How are you? Is it bad?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s situation seemed to be bad. He didn¡¯t cry out in pain, but rolled back and forth on the ground. Sweat rolled down his face.

    Zi You knew that she used 70%-80% of her strength. She really panicked seeing him like this now.

    She got close to him and wanted to read his pulse. Her voice was obviously panicked. ¡°Are you okay? Don¡¯t scare me!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked resentfully at Zi You. He acted spoiled like a child. ¡°You¡¯er, you...... tried to murder your husband. If that ce is broken, your life will be...... ruined.¡±

    Zi You saw that he could still speak. She couldn¡¯t care to still fight with him. She immediately asked, ¡°How is it? Is everything all right?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked pitifully at her and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor. I don¡¯t know. It just really hurts. Why don¡¯t you take a look?¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t even think about it and nodded. ¡°Give me your hand then.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan pointed to his groin in surprise. ¡°The injury is here. Why are you looking at my hand?!¡±

    Zi You looked at the ce that he was referring to. She shyly red at him and scolded, ¡°Lecher! You only know how to let your imagination run wild all day. I was talking about reading your pulse.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Shangguan LingRan was very obedient this time. He averted his face when he stretched his hand out to her. He revealed a fox-like smile as if his plot had seeded.

    Hehe...... I knew that You¡¯er cares about me, as long as I act like I have an injury and use my internal force to make my pulse seem as if it was in disarray.

    Zi You read his pulse and was panicked. ¡°Hey! Tell me the truth! If it really hurts, I¡¯ll make medicine for you. You can¡¯t hide it or something bad will happen.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked feebly at her and asked, ¡°You¡¯er, am I too injured? If so, will you disdain me and not want me? It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over this time....... How sad will Mufei be? I am her only son......¡± He clutched his head sadly.

    Zi You was even more flustered. She thought of how An Wangfei had no conflict with her. She even stood out and spoke up for her in Duke Yongnan fu.

    No matter what her motive was then, she hadn¡¯t done anything bad to her.

    Even when Taizi and Third Wangzi proposed to the Emperor to marry her as cefei, An Wangfei gave Shangguan LingRan the idea to ask the Empress Dowager to marry her as Zhengfei.

    The purpose was to help her so that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager would be in a difficult spot and not marry her to either Taizi or Third Wangzi.

    Zi You thought of this and felt guilty. She could only whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If...... If it¡¯s really broken, I will be responsible for curing you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Shangguan LingRan pretended to look at her in disbelief. ¡°Will you really be responsible?¡±

    Zi You bit her lip as she nodded. ¡°Yes. But you can¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±

    ¡°En. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Shangguan LingRan was ecstatic, but his expression was still pitiful. ¡°Then I wille here every night to take medicine. You can¡¯t drive me away. I can¡¯t decoct medicine in my fu or Mufei will soon find out ande over from Pei City.¡±

    Zi You looked at him in displeasure. ¡°When do you note here? Can I even drive you away? You scoundrel!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was scolded and looked even more aggrieved at Zi You. ¡°But your attitude to me is bad every time. You¡¯er, don¡¯t be fierce to me, okay? I really do feel bad when I can¡¯t see you. Also, what would I do when you go into the mountains? What if you tell Old General Mu to let me join in the military training?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡± Zi You immediately reprimanded, ¡°Do you want the Emperor to know that you have a good rtionship with the General¡¯s Manor? Don¡¯t worry. I will try to cure you as soon as possible before I go into the mountains.¡±

    Zi You started to go outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go decoct medicine for you. Get up. Although the ground is covered with a rug, you will still get cold.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan heard the concern in her words and was even happier. He jumped up when she left. Where was his previous injured and pained appearance?

    But when he heard Zi You¡¯s footsteps, he immediately sprawled on Zi You¡¯s chaise lounge and looked ufortable.

    Zi You walked inside and put a medicine pot on top of a charcoal stove. As she boiled medicine, she said, ¡°Wang Yiping pushed all her crimes onto her nanny Wei mama. I schemed to get her beaten with the military rod thirty times and imprisoned her in the yard near the ancestral hall. Now, one of her legs is wasted. What about you? What¡¯s the situation?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan smiled confidently. ¡°I have people watching the Emperor, Taizi, the Empress, and Third Wangzi. After you left the Pce today, the Emperor summoned three imperial doctors and asked about hypnosis. But he was obviously still worried, so he summoned Daoist Priest Tianxuan into the Pce. You¡¯er, you shouldn¡¯t have used your hypnosis ability. I¡¯m afraid that the Emperor won¡¯t let you go even more now.¡±

    Zi You looked over and saw half of Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face. The perfect curves of his facial features outlined his beautiful face. His mouth was slightly curved. He looked like his usual romantic and wanton self, but his eyes were serious and worried.

    Zi You¡¯s heart jumped. She quickly turned her head and suppressed her heart¡¯s throbbing. She calmly said, ¡°No. I¡¯m still young. He won¡¯t touch me now. In another two years, I believe that I no longer have to fear anyone.

    ¡°I was negligent during the day. I didn¡¯t think that Shangguan Lingluo would have gone ahead with the assassination attempt when Rong Yunhe did not agree. I couldn¡¯t have used drugs on Wang Haiji to speak the truth. That would make the Emperor suspicious as to why I brought drugs along for a banquet. So, I could only use hypnosis.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I let that cheap yatou Yu Lanxuan off too easily today. If I didn¡¯t want to bring down Shangguan Lingluo, I would have taken care of Yu Lanxuan too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Shangguan LingRanzily and wantonly said. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone who wants to hurt you off. I will get Yu Meilian to take care of that cheap wench.¡±

    ¡°Can it be that you really like that ¡®fish with no face?¡¯¡± Zi You asked mockingly. ¡°What? You want to make it real? That¡¯s very simple then. I think that the Empress Dowager will be very happy to bestow a marriage.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan jumped up from the chaise lounge and went over to Zi You.

    The fire from the charcoal stove and the candlelight on the table made the whole room shine brightly and mistily. Ayer of red powder was reflected on Zi You¡¯s face. Her eyes glittered like reflection in the clear light. Her red dress was embroidered with silver thread and bright moonstones. She was like a shining star who looked even more dazzling and as beautiful pink jade.

    But this beautiful woman might have been close at hand, but her heart still held him at a distance. Although she wasn¡¯t as far as the horizon, she wasn¡¯t like him who had dug his own heart out for her.

    Only mockery was in her pair of eyes as deep as a pool. There was no pain or anger in them.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face sunk in anger. He shouted, ¡°You have no conscience! I have to get close to that rotten woman because of you. Do you know how many times I have to take a bath when I returned home? Now, you not only do not appreciate me, but you also mock me.

    ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t need that ¡®fish without face¡¯ to take care of Yu Lanxuan. I¡¯ll take care of her myself. I¡¯ll just sneak into her house at night and slice her in half.¡±

    Then he picked up his mink fur cloak to leave.

    Zi You immediately stopped him. ¡°You haven¡¯t drunk the medicine yet. Where are you going?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan getting close to Yu Meilian was the ¡°handsome man¡± plot that they had agreed on. They wanted her to say Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s plot out loud so that Zi You could hear. Then Zi You would go to question Shangguan Lingluo and reveal her and Taizi¡¯s affair.

    Zi You had originally wanted to use Second Wangzi to let the Empress know about the two¡¯s affair. But she was afraid that the Empress would kill Second Wangzi to cover up the truth instead.

    Zi You didn¡¯t want something to happen to Second Wangzi. She had finally forged a sharp sword. She couldn¡¯t let it be destroyed before she could use it.

    Zi You thought of how Shangguan LingRan went to interact with Yu Meilian, whom he hated to the extreme. Now, she had even said words to hurt him. She really was a bit in the wrong.

    But she would not apologize either. So, she gently curtsied and said, ¡°Thank you, Shizi Ye!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her breezily thanking him. How could he be satisfied? He angrily turned and started to leave again.

    Zi You was also angry now. ¡°Leave then. Leave and nevere again.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately stopped. He went back over to her and whispered in protest in an aggrieved voice, ¡°You¡¯re too cruel! You¡¯er, I¡¯m upset.¡±

    Zi You looked up in anger. She looked into Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes. His heavy affection for her was like a cocoon left from a silkworm that wanted to wrap her up in circle after circle.

    Her heart shook. She felt warm in one moment and resentful in another moment. She didn¡¯t even know what she wanted anymore...

 Chapter 174 Winter Night as Warm as the Spring Sun

    <h4>Chapter 174 Winter Night as Warm as the Spring Sun</h4>

    Her eyes shifted and dodged and didn¡¯t have their usual calm. Shangguan LingRan was extremely happy.

    He leaned close to her and tried to curry favor. ¡°I brought you a holiday gift. I still haven¡¯t given it to you yet.¡±

    He gently whistled. Something flew in andnded on her shoulder.

    Zi You turned to look. It was a pure white eagle. ¡°Is this a gyrfalcon?¡±

    Zi You then understood what was going on. The snow-white bird on her shoulder was clearly the gyrfalcon that people described. And it was a difficult-to-find gyrfalcon. Its snow-white feathers and snow-white ws meant that it was a high-quality gyrfalcon: Yuzhao!

    This gyrfalcon was difficult to find even with millions of gold taels. It was simply a treasure. Gyrfalcons were already difficult to find in Great Yan. Not to mention this was a white gyrfalcon? It would be difficult to find even in the north.

    This rascal saw that she wanted a gyrfalcon and actually gave her one. And it was such a precious Yuzhao.

    But it was absolutely impossible for this gyrfalcon to take the initiative to submit to her. She really didn¡¯t know how Shangguan LingRan did it. Even if the gyrfalcon understood human words, Shangguan LingRan couldn¡¯t possibly have shown it her portrait so that it could recognize her. It recognized her probably by scent. It must have smelled her scent.

    Zi You reached out to stroke the gyrfalcon¡¯s feathers. It indeed sniffed her palm and didn¡¯t move. Zi You quietly stroked its feathers. She was very touched, but was also so angry that she wanted to stomp her feet.

    After Shangguan LingRan¡¯s injury was better and he had left the General¡¯s Manor, she discovered that she lost a pearl earring. She had a lot of jewelry, but she didn¡¯t like wearing it. She had thought that she dropped it identally somewhere and didn¡¯t care too much about it. But now, it seemed like that it was taken by that rascal.

    Zi You thought of what had happened before he left that day and her face suddenly reddened. She didn¡¯t know whether she was indignant or angry.

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. He had said, ¡°This is something I got from Mufei with difficulty. I have one that¡¯s a pair with this one. We can use them tomunicate with each other. They can quickly pass messages no matter how far away they are. They can fly and are much fasterpared to Xiaoqing and Xiaoyu.¡±

    ¡°Thank your Mufei for me!¡± Zi You¡¯s thanks was very gentle.

    Shangguan LingRan felt much better. His long phoenix eyes exuded tenderness and he smiled. ¡°Why are you being so polite with me? You¡¯er, your matters are my matters. I will do my best for you.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan took a deep breath and carefully said, ¡°You¡¯er, I want to ask you something. If Zhao HongXiang is not the person for you. If there is another man who is willing to have only you in his life; but he is infamous and in lots of danger. He is always on the cusp of the storm and dances on the edge of a knife.

    ¡°But no matter how difficult it is, he is willing to fight with you side by side and stand next to you. As long as he has one breath left, he will not allow anyone to hurt you...... You¡¯er, if there is such a man, are you willing to marry him?¡±

    ¡°Are you willing to marry him?¡± Zi You sat in a chair and thought about what Shangguan LingRan had asked her. Even after he drank medicine and had left, she still couldn¡¯t calm down. Her eyes were wide open in the middle of the night and she couldn¡¯t sleep. She couldn¡¯t help but blush again.

    She couldn¡¯t really like that rascal, right? Why else would she think of him at the drop of a hat now? Not only that, but maybe it was because he came over every night, she felt that something was wrong if he didn¡¯te over.

    Zi You was shocked. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. This couldn¡¯t go on like this. Mu Zi You, you can¡¯t forget your previous life¡¯s lessons. Liking a man is very dangerous.

    Even if Shangguan LingRan is serious, you cannot ept him because his identity is too special. Like he said, he lives on the cusp of the storm and dances on the edge of a knife.

    Whether it was him or her, their marriage was not up to them. Even if Zhao HongXiang dissolved the engagement, she couldn¡¯t be with Shangguan LingRan. That would bring a disaster to the General¡¯s Manor and An Wang fu.

    If he wasn¡¯t sincere, then she shouldn¡¯t like him. She had made up her mind that she wouldn¡¯t want a man who was not wholehearted towards her in this lifetime.

    Zi You suppressed the churning waves in her heart and began to cultivate her spiritual power.

    Just as she was cultivating, Shangguan LingRan came.

    He looked at all the flowers rustling in the room. The spirit pets were floating in the air in a circle. Even the air flow was difficult to get close to.

    Shangguan LingRan then knew that her spiritual power was stronger again. He was happy, but concerned for her.

    If the Emperor and his sons found out Zi You¡¯s secret, they would be even crazier to obtain her. Then she and the General¡¯s Manor¡¯s situation would be in more danger.

    But no matter how difficult it was, he would stand guard by the little yatou¡¯s side and not let her get hurt. Over these few days, after returning from Zi You¡¯s ce, he had been desperately practicing his martial arts. He knew that he must be stronger to protect her.

    She would leave the capital and go to Mount Yunmeng to train. Mount Yunmeng was chosen because of its dense forests. Its geography was simr to Nanjiang¡¯s.

    However, this training would take at least six months. If he couldn¡¯t see his You¡¯er for six months, he would go crazy from missing her.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s affectionate and loving eyes were hot as fire and seemed to prate her barrier. It made Zi You so hot that she could no longer practice. She retracted her steady and gushing stream of spiritual power to look at Shangguan LingRan.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s handsome face looked depressed. He rapidly hid it and smiledzily and casually. His narrow eyes rippled like orchids. ¡°Done? Your spiritual power is stronger again. It looks like I have to work harder. Your husband cannot be left behind by you.¡±

    Zi You seemed to be used to him being impudent. She wasn¡¯t angry and went over to a table. She opened a sandalwood box and took out a small blue and white porcin bottle. She handed it to him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. I can¡¯t decoct medicine for you anymore. Your pulse is reading a lot better. Take this pill on time. I especially made it for you......¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish speaking before Shangguan LingRan pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Zi You quickly struggled. Shangguan LingRan almost begged. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me hug you for a moment. Just a moment. You¡¯re leaving tomorrow, but I can¡¯t send you off. I¡¯m afraid I also can¡¯t go see you.

    ¡°You¡¯er, people say that ¡®One day without seeing each other is like being separated for three autumns.¡¯ How many autumns is six months?¡±

    His voice didn¡¯t hold his normal frivolity. Instead, it contained dense emotion. His voice was low and hoarse with some magic in it. It bewitched Zi You so that she actually stopped struggling and didn¡¯t push him away again.

    Shangguan LingRan was happy that Zi You was no longer struggling. Then he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Ai...... You¡¯er, if you never push me away, I will go crazy with happiness.¡±

    This sigh contained endless grievance and helplessness. It was like a hand thrust into Zi You¡¯s chest and wrung her heart.

    Zi You felt her heart hurt. As if a ghost possessed her, she couldn¡¯t help but reach out and hug his waist.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s was ecstatic at this point! His muscr body clearly stiffened and he hugged Zi You tighter. He whispered, ¡°YouYou......¡±

    His voice contained endless emotions. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he had called her that. It was on the second night of the New Year. ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m going to call you ¡®YouYou.¡¯ I don¡¯t want to use the same name as other people.¡±

    She was aware of his mischievous personality and hadn¡¯t said anything. But he hadn¡¯t called her as serious and lingering as he did now.

    Zi You had never known that the same words would sound so different if a person¡¯s tone was different.

    Her heart jumped. She looked up at Shangguan LingRan. He looked serious. His normal cynicism, carelessness, and mockery were all swept away. Instead, he was overbearing and warmly earnest and affectionate. ¡°When you can¡¯t see me in the mountains, you still can¡¯t forget me. You should always think about me. You can¡¯t talk to the male soldiers or exchange letters with that Zhao HongXiang. I will burn him to death if I find out about it!¡±

    Zi You was startled by him and looked stunned at him. She saw Shangguan LingRan¡¯s deep eyesnd on her lips. Zi You thought that his expression changed and exuded a firm determination. His eyes also resembled a wild beast that was about to enjoy a gluttonous meal as it stared at prey. She was so shocked that her body stiffened. She hadn¡¯t reacted when a warm face covered her own.

    Warm breath sprayed on her lips. Zi You¡¯s heart contracted. She instinctively closed her mouth and hid her lips. She tightly shut her eyes and looked away. But the expected kiss did not happen. A hateful and lightughter sounded in the silence against her cheek.

    Zi You knew that she had been teased by Shangguan LingRan again. She suddenly opened her eyes and turned angrily to re at Shangguan LingRan. But at this time, Shangguan LingRan quickly bent his head and bit her hard on the tip of her nose.

    Warm tears welled up in Zi You¡¯s eyes from the pain. She was baffled, but still red angrily at Shangguan LingRan. Through her hazy eyes, she saw Shangguan LingRan smiling so much that his phoenix eyes brightened. His ck gem-like eyes shone brilliantly.

    She didn¡¯t have time to get angry before she was caught by his overbearing right hand. He intertwined his fingers tightly with hers.

    Her hand was clutched tightly in his dry, but hot palm. She could even clearly feel the rough calluses on his palm.

    She blinked her eyes and stubbornly and angrily forced her tears back. Shangguan LingRan took her hand and ced it on his chest. His heart was beating vigorously and violently. It was as if it wanted to jump out of his chest against her fingertips. Zi You was once again speechless.

    Shangguan LingRan saw that Zi You didn¡¯t speak and only red at him. His deep eyes filled withughter. Theughter became deeper and deeper under Zi You¡¯s brightly burning eyes. After a while, he said, ¡°Is YouYou disappointed? You don¡¯t have to be so angry. If you want me to kiss you, you just have to say it. You don¡¯t have to be like this......¡±

    Zi You was originally angry, but now she gnashed her teeth in anger. ¡°Who¡¯s disappointed?! It¡¯s obviously you, you lecher! Hurry and let me go!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan nodded again and again. ¡°Yes, yes. I am very disappointed. YouYou understands me the most! You know that you¡¯re leaving tomorrow, so you can¡¯t bear to reject me. My YouYou is the kindest!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan bent his head to kiss her. Zi You angrily lifted her leg to kick him. Who knew that her foot wouldnd in his palm again?

    Shangguan LingRan grabbed Zi You¡¯s small foot and gently pulled. Zi You fell into his arms again.

    Zi You was about to push him away, but Shangguan LingRan¡¯s maic baritone enchanted her again. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, YouYou. I really don¡¯t want to let you go. Promise me that you will take good care of yourself. There are a lot of poisonous insects on the mountain. Although you know how to protect yourself, you still have to be careful.

    ¡°The mountain is cold in the mornings and evenings. Remember to wear more clothes. Although the Mu army¡¯s discipline is strict, it is inevitable to have one or two bad eggs. You are a girl. You have to be careful and even more careful. Don¡¯t act alone.

    ¡°Also, swords have no eyes. When you act with the army, you......¡±

    Shangguan LingRan said a lot. Zi You was struggling nonstop in the beginning. But as she listened, she no longer struggled, but slowly rxed. She leaned her body into his warm and broad chest.

    It made her feel safe and secure. She listened to the strong thumping of Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart beating. The tightly closed door to her soul since her birth opened a sliver.

    His ordinary urgings weren¡¯t vigorous like pledges of eternal love. But Zi You could see Shangguan LingRan¡¯s sincere heart. Think about it. If he didn¡¯t truly care for her, how could he think so meticulously?

    Zi You suddenly felt that she was no longer alone in this world. There was a person in this world who had no blood rtions with her, but cared deeply for her. Although it was a cold wintry night, she felt as warm as spring.

    The body of the little woman in his arms wasn¡¯t stiff anymore. Instead she softly snuggled into his arms. She was as docile as a kitten. It made Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart soften even more and almost turn into a puddle of spring water......

 Chapter 175 Going Into the Mountains for Military Training, Slag Maleâ€™s Shameful Send-Off

    <h4>Chapter 175 Going Into the Mountains for Military Training, g Male¡¯s Shameful Send-Off</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan stroked the little woman¡¯s slender back. He took a gold chain of dark tourmaline beads off his neck and hung it on Zi You¡¯s neck. ¡°YouYou, this is something that Mufei prayed for me at the temple when I first left the fu. She said that it was blessed with scriptures for forty-nine days in Pei City¡¯s Taihua Temple. It can drive away evil spirits and cmities. I¡¯ll give it to you for your safety.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zi You suddenly looked up. She wanted to take the ne off her neck. She wasn¡¯t being coy. She knew that Shangguan LingRan¡¯s situation was far more dangerous than hers.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this. You¡¯re in a much more dangerous situation than me in the capital. I have grandfather and uncle protecting me in the mountains. I also have spiritual power and life-saving medicines. But you¡¯re not the same. You are alone in the wolf¡¯s den.

    ¡°Shangguan LingRan, listen to me. Your life was saved by me. It doesn¡¯t belong to just you. I also have a share in it. If you get hurt, I won¡¯t let you off! Promise me that you will protect yourself. I can¡¯t live without you...... this ally!¡±

    Her tone was sometimes overbearing and capricious and sometimes it was pleading, like a little woman acting spoiled. It really sounded pleasant in all ways. Her red lips parted and revealed sparkling teeth, like blooming flowers. A pair of rippling and reluctant limpid eyes seemed to be magical and hooked Shangguan LingRan¡¯s soul out.

    Shangguan LingRan hugged her tightly. He hated that he couldn¡¯t hug her deep into his bones. ¡°Be good. Keep the tourmalines. I can be at ease then. Let them guard you in my ce!¡±

    Zi You no longer insisted. She turned and put all sorts of life-saving and deadly drugs into a box and handed it to him. ¡°You know what some of them are. If you don¡¯t, there are descriptions. Look over them.

    ¡°Also, the Emperor decreed to demote my father to Zhili Province¡¯s magistrate. Nee Wang is also locked in the small courtyard next to the ancestral hall. She won¡¯t be able to get out until wee back. But my father is Zhili Province¡¯s magistrate now, so he¡¯s only two hours away from the capital. It is very convenient for him toe back. My grandfather and uncle are not in the house. Only my aunt will be here. I¡¯m afraid that he will......¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Shangguan LingRan immediately understood Zi You. ¡°I will keep an eye on her. If not, I¡¯ll have the Empress Dowagere forward.¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Zi You nodded and rxed a little.

    After dealing with Shangguan Lingluo and Shangguan Botao¡¯s attempted assassination, the decree had been issued to punish Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping.

    Because Old General Mu had already punished them, the Emperor had given them lighter punishment. He had only reprimanded Wang Yiping and had her ¡°contemte her wrongs and not leave the house.¡± He had demoted Mu YingRui from a fourth-rank prefectural magistrate to a powerless fifth-rank Zhili Province¡¯s magistrate.

    As a result, Mu YingRui would go alone to Zhili Province to take up his post. His family would be left in the General¡¯s Manor.

    After Old General Mu, Mu YingYi, and Zi You leave, there would only be Nee Liu left. Zi You was afraid that Nee Liu wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress her elder brother-inw and Wang Yiping. That was why she told Shangguan LingRan to keep an eye on Mu YingRui.

    Because Zi You was leaving for the mountains tomorrow, Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t stay any longer. Although he really didn¡¯t want to leave Zi You, he still reluctantly said, ¡°You have to get up early tomorrow. I won¡¯t stay longer. I will have Lightning (Shangguan LingRan¡¯s gyrfalcon¡¯s name) send you a message if something is wrong. You have to let Feiyun send me a message if something is wrong too.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zi You nodded and promised. She sent him to the door of Hundred Herb Garden.

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t have his usual carefree and mischievous demeanor. He held Zi You¡¯s small face and kissed her forehead. Then he flew upwards and disappeared.

    Zi You looked at the vast night sky. Her mood was fluctuating up and down. She couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.

    In her previous life, An Wang was defeated in battle by the Xiongnus in the north. Shangguan LingRan went missing. If he wasn¡¯t killed by Xuanwu Emperor, then he had gone into hiding from the imperial family.

    In this lifetime...... Zi You gritted her teeth. Since she was prepared to open her heart and ept him, then she had to fight against the Emperor and the heavens. She wouldn¡¯t let him end up with the same fate as in her previous life.

    There were 650,000 soldiers under Old General Mu¡¯smand. 350,000 were stationed in the south. 300,000 were stationed in the vicinity of the capital.

    Old General Mu was bringing 40,000 soldiers for training this time. He was going to switch them for the soldiers stationed in the southern border.

    At the same time, half of the female medical team would follow the 40,000 soldiers to the south.

    The army was prepared to set off. Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi were ordered by the Emperor to lead hundreds of officials to send Old General Mu off.

    Second Wangzi saw the white-clothed Zi You valiantly and cleanly jump down from the horse. His heart couldn¡¯t help but ache.

    So many things had happened on New Year. He had sent a letter on the 2nd asking to meet with her. But she had actually used the excuse of being busy because she was preparing for going into the mountains to refuse him. She had someone send him a medicine sachet. It was filled with anti-poison and anti-gu pills.

    The messenger had told him, ¡°Xiaojie wants to tell Second Wangzi that the pills can cure hundreds of poisons and that gus will not dare to approach you if you keep the sachet on your person.¡±

    Second Wangzi held the medicine pouch as if he was holding Zi You¡¯s hand. He had thought silently, ¡®I want to see you not because of this sachet. I wanted to tell you that I will miss you and worry about you when you leave for the mountains. But why won¡¯t you give me the chance to tell you?¡¯

    Third Wangzi had also thought the same as Second Wangzi. He had also sent a letter to Zi You and asked her to meet him. But Zi You had sent someone to reply that, ¡°Xiaojie said that she is getting ready to go into the mountains. She¡¯s too busy, so she doesn¡¯t have time to see Third Wangzi. Xiaojie said to apologize to Third Wangzi! When she returns, she will enter the Pce to thank Third Wangzi for your concern.¡±

    Unlike Second Wangzi, Zi You only had a messenger leave a message. She didn¡¯t give Third Wangzi a letter, much less a sachet.

    Taizi looked at Zi You in aplicated mood. The Empress had repeatedly warned him that this little girl was poisonous. He shouldn¡¯t get close to her.

    But he looked at her outstanding temperament that was like a Tianshan snow lotus. He couldn¡¯t help but want to get close to her.

    He endured for a long time, but he couldn¡¯t endure anymore. He walked over to Zi You and smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯er, it will be a long time that we won¡¯t see you since you¡¯re going into the mountains this time. I hope that you will safely return to the capital as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your well wishes, Taizi! Chennu also wishes Taizi all the best!¡± Zi You curtsied with a cold expression on her face.

    Old General Mu came over then. ¡°Chen thanks the Emperor for his grace! Thank you, Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi for sending Chen off! Chen will set off now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er.¡± Zhao HongXiang hurried breathlessly over.

    He had tousled with the tongfang yatou for too longst night. He almost didn¡¯t get up this morning.

    His four tongfang yatous had been sold by his father Duke Yongnan. But his mother was afraid that he couldn¡¯t stand the hardship and sent her pretty maidservants to his room. But she had warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t let your father find out or I will be scolded too.¡±

    There was no other way. He feared that his father would find out, so he had to sneak around in the middle of the night to fool around with the two yatous. He then sent them away afterwards.

    This led to a seriousck of sleep for him. He almost didn¡¯t get up this morning. His father had sent someone to hurry him and he had rushed over. He hadn¡¯t even eaten breakfast. He was hungry and he was too tiredst night. Even his calf and stomach were trembling.

    But he had toe. Let¡¯s not mention that Zi You was his fianc¨¦e. Even if she wasn¡¯t, the Emperor had ordered Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi to lead hundreds of officials to send Old General Mu off. Even if he was ignorant and had no power, he still had to be there. Besides, he couldn¡¯t give up the Xiaoyao Powder that Zi You had given him.

    Zi You looked at Zhao HongXiang¡¯s puffy eyes and unsteady footsteps. She then knew that he had indulged in excessive lust. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly sneer. Nee Chen was really a ¡°caring mother.¡± But this was good too. With Xiaoyao Powder and women, she didn¡¯t have to do anything and Zhao HongXiang wouldn¡¯t live long anyway.

    Zi You did not dismount. The army had started setting off already. You¡¯re toote. I can¡¯t jump off the horse under everyone¡¯s gaze and bid you goodbye. She was disgusted looking at him anyway, so this was perfect.

    Zi You cupped her hands on top of the horse and said, ¡°Take care, Shizi. Hope to see you again.¡± She didn¡¯t even take another look as her horse started moving.

    A trace of dissatisfaction appeared in Zhao HongXiang¡¯s heart for the first time. I¡¯m your future husband, at the very least. You don¡¯t even get off your horse toe over and curtsy to me. You just said one line and left. How can a wife be so arrogant in front of her husband?

    Look at Xuan¡¯er. She looks at me like I¡¯m the sky. How gentle and passionate she is. Zhao HongXiang remembered the scene when he had met Yu Lanxuan in the Pce that day. His attention couldn¡¯t help but be diverted.

    That day, he and Yu Lanxuan had gone to Ronghua Pce Hall to see Zi You, Third Wangzi, and Second Gongzhu going to Yaohua Pce.

    He had wanted to rush over there. But Yu Lanxuan had twisted her foot. He couldn¡¯t just leave her there, right? So, he had looked around and picked her up to go into Ronghua Pce Hall. He had wanted to get a doctor for her, but who knew that Yu Lanxuan would hung onto him?

    ¡°Shizi, don¡¯t leave me. I¡¯m scared......¡±

    That voice was very sweet and coquettish to the bone! He had turned numb and pounced over to the little yatou and started kissing her.

    But he didn¡¯t think that the little yatou would go crazy. She even took the initiative to tear off his clothing. If he wasn¡¯t afraid of something happening and had asked, ¡°Has your mensese yet?¡± he would have pressed her down right then.

    In the end, the little yatou shook her head bashfully. He had turned speechless. She is really ***. She hasn¡¯t reached adult age yet [fifteen years old] and wants Ye to press her down. She¡¯s not even afraid of harming her own body......

 Chapter 176 Contest of Swords, Zi You Shocks the Soldiers

    <h4>Chapter 176 Contest of Swords, Zi You Shocks the Soldiers</h4>

    But the feeling of an illicit affair was very good. It was much more exciting than ying with tongfang yatous. Zhao HongXiang thought of Yu Lanxuan and his heart was itchy and unbearable. His lower body stirred. He boarded the horse carriage and no longer looked at Zi You as he left.

    Mount Yunmeng had a lot of strange stones, ancient caves, waterfalls, and different nts. It had a beautifulndscape and tough terrain.

    40,000 people were stationed here for training. Zi You thought that this was on a huge scale.

    But Old General Mu said to her, ¡°The soldiers aren¡¯t at the level to go to Nanjiang¡¯s forests yet. There are many different tribes there who are familiar with the geography. They also know how to use poisons. As long as they dispatch dozens of people, they can deal with hundreds of our people.¡±

    Zi You was even more determined not to take one step away from her grandfather. This was not the same as in the past when her grandfather used real swords and spears to battle enemies on the battlefield openly and aboveboard. She used to be able to rx with her grandfather and uncle¡¯s abilities.

    However, pacifying the rebellion in Nanjiang was not the same. Their enemies were hidden in the dark. It would be like her grandfather and the others going into a cave of snakes. They wouldn¡¯t know where a poisonous snake would be hiding. It coulde out at anytime to bite you. It really would be hard to defend against it.

    The army arrived at Mount Yunmeng. It was after noon, so Old General Mu ordered the army to make camp and make food. The army brought limited provisions because they were supposed to learn how to forage.

    Men and women formed teams. It was the first time that the soldiers had seen women in the barracks. Although they weren¡¯t old and mostly around Zi You¡¯s age, the soldiers were still very happy. They enthusiastically set up tents while looking at and discussing the female soldiers.

    ¡°Our general¡¯s Di granddaughter is worthy of being a military family¡¯s descendant. She¡¯s not the same as those frail and delicate noble xiaojies.¡±

    ¡°En. It¡¯s good now. We don¡¯t have to be afraid of poisonous snakes, ants, or spiders. I¡¯m not afraid of the enemy, but I¡¯m scared of those poisonous insects.¡±

    ¡°The medicinal sachet that the female medical team handed out really works. I took it out earlier and a big ant didn¡¯t dare toe close to it.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Zi You had given each soldier a sachet. The medicinal herbs inside exuded a medicinal scent. It could not only refresh and clear the mind, but it could effectively prevent a variety of poisonous insects from approaching them.

    Fortunately, there weren¡¯t a lot of poisonous insects on Mount Yunmeng. But Nanjiang was different. Her grandfather had told her that one would be unconscious in thirty minutes after being bitten by a tiny spider.

    Zi You¡¯s military training on the mountain began. It was the same as in the capital. She woke up at Mao Shi [5 ¨C 7 a.m.] to practice martial arts. Then she went to train with the army after breakfast. The female medical team served as cooks. When the troops rested, Zi You taught the females medicine.

    There was collective activity at night, such as a night march. That was Zi You¡¯s own time to cultivate. She set up an array around her tent and no one could get close.

    She had brought all five pots of ck mandara flowers and her spirit pets here. The little things had yed happily when they arrived. Weishali haf watched over them so Zi You didn¡¯t need to worry.

    When night fell, Zi You would bring the ck mandaras and spirit pets to the highest peak. She would collect the essence of heaven and earth and cultivate her spiritual power. Although she was very tired, there were no plots, schemes, or fighting. She lived fully and happily.

    Only, that lecherous dandy would pop up in her mind from time to time and disturb her.

    What was that rascal doing at this time? Would the Empress and Taizi be angry at him because of Shangguan Lingluo and her brother¡¯s deaths? Even if Zi You was extremely unwilling to admit it, she knew that that scoundrel had quietly entered her heart.

    The days passed very quickly. It was soon the Lantern Festival [January 15th]. Old General Mu announced a day off. The soldiers were very happy. That was because Zi You and the girls had hungnterns that they had made themselves. After eating sticky dumplings, the females had also sung and danced for the soldiers.

    The girls were unwilling at first. After all, they were not singers or dangers. And many of them were actually daughters of officials. It was very normal for them to be unwilling to perform for a group of coarse soldiers.

    Zi You didn¡¯t me them. Instead, she told them, ¡°Don¡¯t treat the soldiers as soldiers. Think of them as your brothers. When you sing or dance for your parents and brothers, would you have such thoughts? If you don¡¯t look down on yourselves, the soldiers won¡¯t either.¡±

    The truth was just like this. The Mu army had strict discipline. Although one wouldn¡¯t dare to say that all of the 40,000 soldiers were pure, at least most of them were good people. Even if they had other thoughts, they didn¡¯t dare to put them into action.

    So, after the female medical team finished their performance, many soldiers stood up, sung, waved swords, andpeted in martial arts.

    Zi You was interested. She said to two military officerspeting with each other, ¡°I want topete with you. Can I?¡±

    The two young military officers were sixth-rank Battalion Chief Zhang Wei and fifth-rank Deputy General Wei Mingchao. They were young; around twenty years old. They were both startled by Zi You¡¯s question.

    Wei Mingchao was a bit embarrassed as he rubbed his head. ¡°That¡¯s not good, Xiaojie! What if we use tree branches instead?¡±

    He really didn¡¯t put Zi You in his eyes. She was as beautiful as a fairy. She was young and not even as old as his sister. Old General Mu and Young General doted on her so much. Let¡¯s not talk about how they wouldn¡¯t agree to this, but even he couldn¡¯t agree.

    Mu YingYi, on the side, couldn¡¯t help butugh. He said to Zi You, ¡°You¡¯er, he¡¯s using a tree branch, so you use a ribbon. Don¡¯t overdo it and don¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    Zi You nodded. He looked down on her by suggesting he use a tree branch. She would indeed be bullying him if she used a sword. Using a ribbon it was!

    Because today was a day off, Zi You wasn¡¯t wearing a military uniform. She wore a water-blue horse-riding outfit. Her hair was rolled into double buns and they were tightly tied by Shiyun with the same blue colored ribbons. Her perfect goose egg face was revealed. Her skin was like snow and tender like water.

    She pulled out a red ribbon that was as wide as an adult¡¯s arm. She twirled it around her arm and walked over. She cupped her fists at Deputy General Wei and modestly said, ¡°Deputy General Wei, please don¡¯t hold back. Let¡¯s have a match.¡±

    Wei Mingchao casually held a tree branch used to light fires. He nodded with a red face and thought, ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful. She doesn¡¯t need a sword or spear and can dazzle the enemy¡¯s eyes. He¡¯ll faint away before the fight.¡¯

    Zi You could tell what he was thinking. She didn¡¯t say anything else, but jumped into the air. Everyone seemed to have seen a kingfisher flying. They hadn¡¯t noticed anything else before they saw a flying red cloud wrap around the dazed Wei Mingchao.

    Wei Mingchao was wrapped up like a python was twisted around him. Then he was thrown into the air and flung to the ground with a ¡°bang.¡± The spectating soldiers all widened their eyes in shock. They were in disbelief. Wei Mingchao was at least 165 pounds. How much did Zi You weigh? She was at most 66 to 77 pounds. She actually used a ribbon to fling a man more than twice her weight to the ground.

    Defeated with one move! Deputy General Wei simply couldn¡¯t fight back. Everyone froze for two minutes before issuing deafening apuse.

    Wei Mingchao flipped up from the ground. He stared at Zi You without any more contempt. This young general was a flexible person. He immediately raised his fists and apologized to Zi You. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have looked down on you, Xiaojie. Let¡¯s have a real contest now.¡±

    He then picked up his sword. Zi You pressed down on her waist and a soft sword appeared in her hand. It was her Yinxiao Sword. The reason she called it Yinxiao Sword was because it cut iron like mud and sounded like a flute when it was waved.*** This sword was something Old General Mu had ordered someone to tailor for her.

    [¡°Yin¡± is a song/ sound. ¡°Xiao¡± is a musical instrument simr to panpipes.]

    After the attempted assassination in the mountain, Old General Mu had spent 1,000 gold taels to get sword master Yin Fu to forge this soft sword.

    When Zi You received the sword, she jumped and hopped around Old General Mu, making Old General Mu sad for a long time. Other girls picked up needles and thread, but his precious granddaughter was like a boy ¡ª Other than waving swords around, she was handling medicinal herb and poisons.

    Even Old General Mu was shocked when he saw her extract snake venom skillfully.

    Wei Mingchao looked at this thin and narrow soft sword. Its hilt was made out of white jade. If he didn¡¯t look carefully, he would have thought that it was a belt around her waist. But this sword made flute sounds and reflected a blue light under the sun. Wei Mingchao¡¯s eyes turned deep. He knew that this was a precious sword. He didn¡¯t dare to drag things out. He looked at her sword and was ready to move.

    Zi You held her sword still with a cold expression. She looked at Wei Mingchao without moving too. They were obviously waiting for the other to reveal his w.

    At this time, a mountain wind blew Zi You¡¯s loose hair on the sides of her face. Wei Mingchao¡¯s iron sword took the opportunity to swing out towards Zi You¡¯s face.

    Zi You retreated two meters without panic or hurry. Her back touched a tree trunk.

    Wei Mingchao saw that she wasn¡¯t in front of him anymore. His iron sword changed directions and stabbed.

    There was nowhere else that Zi You could retreat to. She suddenly started climbing up the tree.

    Wei Mingchao shouted and flew up. His iron sword also turned into a rainbow. For a moment, he and his sword seemed to have be one.

    His Qi [energy, aura] made dead branches fell to the ground. The scene was deste and bleak!

    Zi You¡¯s arms shook and she fell down with the branches.

    Wei Mingchao roared and flipped. A rainbow suddenly turned into countless streams of light and spilled down over Zi You¡¯s head.

    Zi You seemed to have no more paths of retreat. Everyone eximed out loud.

    At this time, she turned into a green light and dove into the lights.

    Everyone eximed, including the startled Old General Mu and Mu YingYi.

    Wei Mingchao¡¯s martial arts weren¡¯t the best among the soldiers, but he was ranked amongst the top.

    His sword Qi could hurt anyone within two feet of him. Even if Zi You wasn¡¯t dead from charging through his sword Qi, she would certainly be hurt all over.

    Just as everyone was stunned silly, they saw that the situation had changed. The green light rotated nonstop around Wei Mingchao. Then everyone heard a click.

    When the light stopped turning, Zi You was standing there and pointing her Yinxiao Sword at Wei Mingchao¡¯s throat.

    The soldiers looked at Zi You¡¯s intact blue riding outfit.

    Then they looked at Wei Mingchao¡¯s armor. Pieces of armor fell to the ground. They couldn¡¯t help but exim out loud again.

    Let¡¯s talk about Great Yan¡¯s military armor. The two mostmon armors used on battlefields were Liangdang and Mingguang.

    Liangdang armor consisted of small pieces of fish scale-shaped pieces put together. It extended to the abdomen. The armor on the torso was crescent shaped and there was a lotus-shaped piece to protect the lower half and enhance defense.

    Mingguang armor protected the chest and the back. That was because most of this round-shaped protection was made from copper, iron, and other materials that were polished until it shone like a mirror. Wearing Mingguang armor on the battlefield would make you shine dazzlingly on the battlefield under the sunlight.

    There were a lot of styles for this type of armor. It was also very simple. Some would add two round pieces around the crotch and buttocks area. Others were equipped with shoulder pads, knee pads, and heavy shoulder pads. Most body armor fell to the hips and strapped around the waist.

    Wei Mingchao was wearing leather armor today. Zi You¡¯s sword stripped off all of the leather from his armor, but did not hurt him.

    It could be imagined what it would look like if Zi You was facing an enemy. His whole body would be bloody and mutted already.

    Wei Mingchao cupped his fists with an admiring expression. ¡°I lost. I ept my loss wholeheartedly!¡±

    Zi You faintly smiled. Her smile was bright and dazzling and made the whole mountain lose its color. ¡°Deputy General Wei let me win. You actually haven¡¯t used all your strength yet. If you did, I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t be so easy for me to win.¡±

    Wei Mingchao shook his head. ¡°I have already used 90% of my internal strength. But you can still charge through my sword Qi. Your internal strength is already much stronger than mine.¡±

    Wei Mingchao was in admiration and puzzled. He looked at Zi You and couldn¡¯t understand why her internal strength was so high at such a young age......

 Chapter 177 Evildoer Goes to the Mountains, Pledging Their Love on the Lantern Festival [1]

    <h4>Chapter 177 Evildoer Goes to the Mountains, Pledging Their Love on the Lantern Festival [1]</h4>

    Zi You didn¡¯t say much. She cupped her fists and lightly smiled before walking over to her grandfather.

    Old General Mu looked gratified at his granddaughter. Her deep purple eyes rejoiced happily.

    Even he didn¡¯t think that his granddaughter could use her spiritual power with her internal strength. Otherwise, her current internal strength could never have charged through Wei Mingchao¡¯s sword Qi.

    All of the soldiers looked at Zi You. At this moment, no one looked down on her because she was young and a weak woman.

    The night soon fell. Zi You allowed the girls to freely move around. She then went to Old General Mu¡¯s tent and sang a few songs for her grandfather and uncle. ¡°Grandfather, uncle, I¡¯ll sing some songs for you. Consider it as my holiday gift.¡±

    She originally wanted to make a robe and boots for her grandfather, but she had been too busy. She didn¡¯t have time, so she only gifted him a robe. The boots weren¡¯t ready yet.

    ¡°Okay, okay......¡± Old General Mu was still very happy. He looked at his granddaughter¡¯s pair of jade-like hands dancing on the zither strings. Her zither skills were superb. That was when he knew that his granddaughter¡¯s zither skills were different today than before, just like her martial arts.

    He was gratified. He rubbed Zi You¡¯s head and said dotingly, ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself too tired. You¡¯re learning martial arts, medicine, and even zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Don¡¯t make yourself too tired. You¡¯re still young. Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Take your time.¡±

    Mu YingYi looked lovingly at her too. He took out and handed her a box. ¡°Open it. It¡¯s uncle¡¯s gift to you. You can use it when you practice acupuncture.¡±

    Zi You opened it. Inside was a little wooden person. The acupuncture points and meridians were clearly marked on its body.

    Mu YingYi walked over and gently pushed the little wooden person. There were even internal organs inside. She didn¡¯t know what material they were made out of. They were really the same as the real ones.

    ¡°Uncle......¡± Zi You was excited. She couldn¡¯t even speak as she looked at Mu YingYi.

    Her uncle was like her real father. He gave her gifts every holiday. All the gifts in her room were basically sent by her uncle and her grandfather. Her g father had never thought about this.

    Old General Mu pretended to be guilty as he looked at Zi You and shook his head. ¡°Aiyo! Grandfather forgot. I didn¡¯t prepare a gift for you. What to do now?¡±

    ¡°Grandfather, you bringing me to the mountains and allowing me to train with the Mu army is already the best gift.¡± Zi You held her grandfather¡¯s arm and said cutely.

    Old General Mu felt even more tenderness. He walked over to the bed and took out a plum blossom-shaped dagger. He handed it to her and said, ¡°This is the Plum Dagger that your grandmother left for you. I¡¯ll give it to you now.¡±

    Plum Dagger: It had sharp edges on both ends. It was about a foot and two inches long. It was circr. The hilt is crescent-shaped. Its form was like a plum blossom. It was a very valuable dagger.

    It was one of the few items that her grandmother had left for her grandfather. Now, her grandfather actually gave it to her. Zi You fondled it admiringly and said to her grandfather, ¡°Grandfather, I will treat it like a treasure.¡±

    Old General Mu shook his head. ¡°Weapons are used to kill enemies. You will meet whoever dares to assault you head-on!¡±

    ¡°Yes, grandfather.¡± Zi You instantly understood her grandfather¡¯s meaning and loudly replied.

    With the love and support of her loved ones, Zi You was even more determined to practice martial arts.

    She ordered Shiyun and Moyun to pick up the ck mandara flowerpots and called Weishali and the spirit pets. She was about to leave, but heard Feiyun¡¯s screech.

    She had told Feiyun not to make any noise so as to not alert anyone. But it clearly discovered something and was warning her right now.

    But Feiyun¡¯s screech was full of intimacy. Yes, it was full of intimacy. It was unlike the sharp and fierce screech that it made when it first saw Weishali.

    Zi You felt that it was strange and heard a certain scoundrel¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m exhausted! I rushed here nonstop. But you still trap me with this array.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan! Why was he here? Zi You was surprised and immediately said to Shiyun and Moyun, ¡°Forget it. Go to bed. I won¡¯t practice and rest tonight. I¡¯ll study meridians on the human body.¡±

    Shiyun and Moyun thought that it was strange. But Xiaojie said that she wanted to rest, so they couldn¡¯t say no as servants.

    Shiyun put the flowerpots down and asked in concern, ¡°What if Xiaojie takes a bath?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t take a bath tonight.¡± Zi You replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t sweat today. I¡¯ll read some books and simply wash up. You don¡¯t have to serve me. Go rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The two bowed and left.

    Zi You then walked towards her tent.

 Chapter 178 Evildoer Goes to the Mountains, Pledging Their Love on the Lantern Festival [2]

    <h4>Chapter 178 Evildoer Goes to the Mountains, Pledging Their Love on the Lantern Festival [2]</h4>

    Zi You wondered if this counted as a lovers¡¯ rendezvous as she was going to meet Shangguan LingRan. She felt bashful. Thus, she bowed her head ufortably as she lifted the tent p.

    There was no movement from Shangguan LingRan. She raised her head. She looked right into the close and burning eyes of a handsome man.

    The two looked each other as if they were glued together. Zi You wanted to look away, but Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes seemed to contain some magic. She couldn¡¯t look away and was eager to gaze into the burning tenderness.

    After a while, Zi You looked away first. She pretended to be angry as she asked, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Do you want to look at stars?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shangguan LingRan shed over to her side and picked up her hand very naturally. ¡°YouYou, which peak are we going to?¡±

    Zi You quickly struggled, but Shangguan LingRan held her small hand firmly. He didn¡¯t let go no matter how she struggled.

    Zi You was angry and said in a low voice, ¡°Let go of me!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Shangguan LingRan replied very firmly. He didn¡¯t have his usual careless and mischievous smile on his face. He said resolutely and overbearingly, ¡°I won¡¯t let go. I won¡¯t let go. I won¡¯t let you go for a lifetime!¡±

    Zi You¡¯s whole body shook. She stood there dazed.

    At this time, Shangguan LingRan wrapped his arm around her waist and pointed to the highest peak where Zi You normally cultivated her spiritual power. ¡°YouYou, let¡¯s go there. It¡¯s so high that we can see farther. Maybe we can see the lights from the capital.¡±

    He picked up Zi You and flew towards the mountain peak.

    There was a particrly clean slope. The grass and weeds were all cleared and it was covered with oilcloth and carpet. Shangguan LingRan eximed, ¡°Someone seems to havee here before.¡±

    He didn¡¯t wait for Zi You to reply before smiling happily. ¡°Oh, I know. YouYou, this is where you cultivate your spiritual power at night, right? Our hearts are really linked. Did you want to bring me here to look at the stars?¡±

    Hiszy voice contained doting. In this lonely and vast night, thebination was like a plume of feathers sweeping across her heart. It was as intimate as if it was done by a lover. A numbness quickly spread from the top of Zi You¡¯s heart to her limbs.

    She came back to her senses. She turned her head and blinked her clear eyes. She said coquettishly, ¡°Whose heart is linked with yours? That Yu Meilian right? Did you see how affectionate her eyes were when she looked at you in the plum blossom grove that day?¡±

    Zi You thought of that day when Shangguan LingRan was protecting Yu Meilian. Even though she knew that he had been acting, her heart still felt sour. Her words imperceptibly contained anger and jealousy.

    Shangguan LingRan obviously did not know what Zi You was really thinking. He looked at her angry face and was nervous. Although her words were faintly jealous, what if his realistic acting that day made her misunderstand what happened between him and Yu Meilian?

    His good-looking face looked aggrieved. ¡°YouYou, you¡¯re wronging me. I have no control over her dead fish eyes. But the heavens, sun, and moon can be witnesses. I¡¯m really disgusted looking at her. You must believe me.¡±

    Zi You looked at expression. His narrow eyes seemed to be aggrieved like a child who couldn¡¯t eat something that he wanted to. She couldn¡¯t help but reach out to pinch his waist. ¡°What are you nervous about? I was just saying. You don¡¯t have to exin. What does you and her have to do with me? I......¡±

    ¡°I am not anyone to you.¡± This sentence hadn¡¯t been spoken when Shangguan LingRan reached his palm out and caught her small hand that was pinching his waist. His eyes emitted a dazzling light. ¡°YouYou, I only have you in my heart. You don¡¯t have to care about anyone else. I know that you actually have me in your heart, right?¡±

    What did it mean when a little sunshine was brilliant? The Shangguan LingRan in front of her was just that right now. He could tell from her tone, actions, and abnormal anger came from a little woman¡¯s soft heart. He concluded from that Zi You¡¯s feelings towards him.

    He didn¡¯t want to let her run away today. That was because he had already broken his brain with her resistance against him.

    He wanted to force her to face the truth even though he didn¡¯t know what was troubling her to always be so resistant towards him.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes were very beautiful. In the faint night sky, they were more shining and dazzling than the brightest stars and more gorgeous than the most luminous fireworks.

    Zi You seemed to be sucked into his phoenix eyes. She suddenly became nervous. She even forgot to take back her hand that was in his hand.

    She blinked and blinked.

 Chapter 179 Evildoer Goes to the Mountains, Pledging Their Love on the Lantern Festival [3]

    <h4>Chapter 179 Evildoer Goes to the Mountains, Pledging Their Love on the Lantern Festival [3]</h4>

    Although there were no spring flowers, autumn moon, gentle summer wind, or insects and birds chirping, there was a sky full of stars on this quiet night. There were also two young hearts that were slowly getting closer.

    ¡°Do you know that my Shifu often took us to practice martial arts under a waterfall? When the torrentsnded on my body, it was painful and refreshing.¡± Shangguan LingRan thought of his shixiongs and Shifu and revealed a soft smile.

    This was the first time that Zi You had heard about his life in Xuanyuan Sect. she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How old were you when you arrived at Mount Emei?¡±

    ¡°Two years old.¡± Shangguan LingRan thought about his childhood and his phoenix eyes dimmed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but Mufei had told me. When I was one and a half years old, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager gave the old man two cefeis. One is Su cefei and the other is Ning cefei. Su cefei was pregnant after being married for two months. From then on, disaster struck me.

    ¡°One time, I inexplicably fell into the pce¡¯s lotus pond. Another time, Mufei took me to the temple and the horse was startled. If Mufei didn¡¯t hold onto me tightly, I might have died. But Mufei was seriously injured and was bedridden for a full month and a half.

    ¡°Since then, my grandfather had sent people to protect me. But the people he sent were killed again and again. Finally, my grandfather saw that it wasn¡¯t working. He took advantage of his birthday when Mufei brought me to the capital. This time, I was sent to Shifu by grandfather. I was only two years and four months old then. An orphan whom grandfather bought took my ce to return to Pei City.

    ¡°When I was seven years old, my first substitute became a hostage and arrived at the capital. He stayed for only one year there. He was killed when he was eight years old. There was no other choice, so I came back. This time, I lived in the capital for three months and returned to Pei City for six months.

    ¡°I will never forget those six months. The old man treated me worse than an outsider. I, the Di son, am not even worth the two Shu sons born from cefeis. One time, Shangguan Liran, Su cefei¡¯s son, wanted my seven-colored crystal ball that grandfather gave me. I didn¡¯t give it to him. The result was that the old man locked me up and made me kneel in the dark ancestral hall for three days and nights.¡±

    Zi You angrily scolded, ¡°What? This is going overboard even if you favor the concubine and neglect the wife. You are also his son. Is his heart eaten by a dog to treat you like that? He¡¯s a g male in eight lifetimes! Oh, I¡¯m so angry!¡±

    She fiercely kicked a stone, as if the stone was An Wang.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at how angry Zi You was. His originally cold and numb heart finally recovered. A stream of warm heat gradually spread.

    He looked at her jade-like face. Her smooth skin exuded a faint halo more brilliant than a pearl.

    This was the first time that he had liked someone so much. He didn¡¯t want to be outside of her heart. Shangguan LingRan was originally not a restrained person. He had restrained and controlled himself for Zi You again and again. His control finally broke under the moonlight.

    He took her in his arms and covered her lips with his own. Although his surging feelings rushed out, he was still careful as he kissed her. But when he touched those soft and sweet lips, his efforts at controlling himself stopped.

    All of his senses were concentrated on the small lips. Nothing else existed. He only wanted to concentrate on those lips. After he boldly touched her lips, he was no longer satisfied with the shallow contact. As if someone guided him, his tongue inserted between her lips.

    Under the pressure from Shangguan LingRan¡¯s lips, Zi You¡¯s whole body stiffened. Her eyes were fixated on his face. She felt his thin and red lips cover her lips. She felt a very strange feeling which came from her lips. She was dazed.

    Her usual intelligence disappeared. She could only feel his warm breath, the heat from his skin, and the light bamboo scent that surrounded him. She suddenly came back to her senses when he slipped his soft tongue through her lips and teeth. It was absurd what he was doing. She reached out to push him away.

    But Shangguan LingRan¡¯s reaction was faster than hers. He moved almost as soon as she moved. He grabbed her hands with one hand. His other hand was ced behind her head. He slightly moved back from her. His lips moved about a centimeter away from hers. His magnificent eyes looked mesmerizingly at her. His breath when he spoke covered their lips. ¡°Look, YouYou. You like me.¡±

    His low voice sounded surprised. His phoenix eyes looked overbearingly at Zi You and didn¡¯t allow her to escape again.

    He was very eager to express his joy. He had been ready for everything. Perhaps she would push him away, p him, or righteously reject him. But she didn¡¯t do anything. He could even feel the slight tremor of her body when he kissed her.

    He couldn¡¯t wait to confirm his point. He was really afraid that the little woman would avoid him and distance him from her heart.

    Zi You could feel his breath brush past her lips as he spoke. The minor distance between them was the same as none there. His eyes were serious, focused, and heated. She was afraid to look at him and wanted to escape elsewhere.

 Chapter 180 The Empress Dowager is Ill, Ruixueâ€™s Warding-Off Wedding is Pushed Forward

    <h4>Chapter 180 The Empress Dowager is Ill, Ruixue¡¯s Warding-Off Wedding is Pushed Forward</h4>

    [I know there¡¯s some content missing, but I¡¯ve checked a lot of sites and the raws are all the same. If anyone can find the missing content, send me a link!]

    ¡°Be careful.¡± There were soldiers patrolling around the mountain. If the soldiers saw them together, they would be finished.

    When Shangguan LingRan ran down to the bottom of the mountain, his martial nephews released sighs of relief when they saw hime back safely.

    They looked at his happy face and rippling phoenix eyes filled with deep tenderness and knew that his wish had been fulfilled. For a time, they were all happy for their little Shishu.

    Yi Chen immediately smiled and said, ¡°It looks like we will have a little martial aunt [Shishen] soon.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was not angry. He smiled happily and devilishly charmingly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Children, you have to be as loyal to your little Shishen as you are to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, little Shishu.¡± The little martial nephews smiled as they answered.

    That night, Shangguan LingRan and Zi You tossed and turned. They didn¡¯t sleep well.

    Zi You thought that since she liked him, then she would have to fight. Even if there were deep trenches or countless thorns in front of her, she would rush through them to fight for him.

    Shangguan LingRan was thinking about Zhao HongXiang. That b*stard! As soon as he thought that YouYou was his fianc¨¦e in name, his teeth ached from hatred.

    He must take care of him, but not now. He had to wait until he had the ability to protect YouYou and not be guarded against by the Emperor and his sons before he could make a move.

    Military training was intense and tiring, but the days were full of happiness. Through frequent interactions, the females and males got along more and more naturally.

    At first, the females were reluctant to bandage the soldiers¡¯ wounds on their legs or torso. But after several times and after they saw Zi You¡¯s calmness when she bandaged wounds for the soldiers, the females had calmed down too.

    Zi You¡¯s strength, tenacity, and amiability to the soldiers made the soldiers admire her very much. They affectionately called her ¡°Little fairy.¡±

    Winter left and spring arrived. Since Shangguan LingRan returned to the capital, he didn¡¯t go see Zi You in the mountains again. He didn¡¯t evene on Zi You¡¯s birthday on March 23rd. He had fifteenth martial nephew Yi Chen bring her a gift and letter.

    The gift was in a rosewood box. Zi You opened it. It was a diamond iid emerald corundum bracelet with a matching long hairpin lying on the red nnel. The brilliance of the corundum and diamond shone like a rainbow.

    Fifteenth martial nephew Yi Chen proudly opened the hairpin. It was actually hollow in the middle. A very small dagger was in the thin hairpin. The sharp de emitted bright light. The position where the emerald corundum was iid was precisely the part where someone should hold it. It was suitable for a woman to hold without hurting her hand.

    Zi You knew that it was very skillful to do such a thing in a small area of a hairpin. This must be valuable. But she was very happy with the hairpin from simply her necessity for such an item.

    She couldn¡¯t bring a dagger or soft sword everywhere she went. But closebat wouldn¡¯t be a problem with this hairpin.

    Fifteenth martial nephew Yi Chen could tell that a smile was emitting in her eyes. He boasted even more proudly. He took the bracelet out and pressed down somewhere. Needles swooshed out andnded on a table.

    He said, ¡°There are fourteen silver needles inside this bracelet. Seven are dipped in anesthetic. Seven are dipped in poison. The range is about five meters. It will be more effective the closer you are. My little Shishu had someone make this in three months. Others certainly won¡¯t make it so well. My little Shishu has spent a lot of thought! My little Shishu can¡¯t home. He feels very bad about it!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t want toe, but that he couldn¡¯te. That was because the Empress Dowager was watching the fireworks and had gotten a cold. At first, she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. But she had gotten worse and worse. In the end, the cold turned into heat, obstructed her lungs, and gave her asthma. She was suffering from modern day pneumonia.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s feelings were conflicted towards this grandmother of his. There was resentment, but also familial affection. After all, everything that she did, including raising ¡°him¡± into a dandy, was to save his life.

    The Empress Dowager really did love him. Shangguan LingRan understood that if she wasn¡¯t alive, the Emperor would be even more unbridled. Thus, he could only strongly suppress his lingering for Zi You and stay by the Empress Dowager¡¯s side day and night; for fear that the Empress would do something.

    Zi You was aware of the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition. Shangguan LingRan had Lightning send her a letter every two days. Even his aunt Nee Liu mentioned the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition in her letters to Mu YingYi. The words were full of worry.

    Since something big had happened, in order to demonstrate his filial piety, Taizi actually proposed to marry cefei Liu Ruixue ahead of time as a warding-off wedding.*** The Emperor even agreed.

    [Warding-off wedding (Chongxi) = holding a wedding in hopes that a joyous asion would ¡°ward-off¡± imminent death.]

    Originally, the wedding was scheduled for August 6th, but it was now pushed forward to April 12th. That was the result from Duke Anguo¡¯s discussion with the Emperor because Liu Ruixue didn¡¯t reach marriageable age until May 13th.

 Chapter 181 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [1]

    <h4>Chapter 181 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [1]</h4>

    The most important thing was that Liu Ruixue hadined to Zi You that she was unhappy with the marriage and didn¡¯t want to marry Taizi so early. But she did not tell Zi You that she never wanted to marry Taizi. So, how could Zi You help her?

    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t care about her friends and sisters, but the human heart was tooplicated and changed too much. A few months ago, Liu Ruixue hade to be a lobbyist for Taizi. Although she didn¡¯t want to be a lobbyist, it couldn¡¯t be denied that she was tentatively testing Zi You. When it came to one¡¯s own interests, friends and sisters would turn into enemies.

    The Yu Lanxuan in the previous life had made her life miserable. In this lifetime, Zi You wouldn¡¯t care about anyone if she didn¡¯t treat her wholeheartedly and had even a tiny bit of selfishness.

    So, Zi You had sent a letter tofort Liu Ruixue. Then she had gone back to focusing on military training. On April 9th, she, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi returned to the capital to attend Liu Ruixue and Taizi¡¯s wedding.

    After leaving the mountain, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi naturally needed to go report to the Emperor in the Pce about the military training. As the female medical team¡¯smander, Zi You also entered the Pce.

    After reporting on the female medical team and the military training, the Emperor suddenly said, ¡°Yatou, you are one of the Empress Dowager¡¯s doctors. Since you¡¯re back,e with Zhen to take a look at the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition.¡±

    Zi You could not defy the Emperor¡¯s will, so she obediently followed him to Jingyang Pce.

    The first thing she saw was Shangguan LingRan. Zi You could feel her heart seize up and immediately started to hurt.

    She immediately realized that the Empress Dowager was really ill. Shangguan LingRan looked very haggard and thin. Hisplexion wasn¡¯t good either. His phoenix eyes brightened for a second when he saw her. Then he pretended to be angry, turned away, and ignored her.

    Zi You could only go over and indifferently curtsy. She then went to read the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. She was shocked. The Empress Dowager was pale and clearly wheezing. She was also very thin. She waspletely different from the Empress Dowager whom Zi You had seen before she went into the mountains. She slept deeply, but was sometimes restless because of the difficulty in breathing.

    Zi You hurriedly went over to put her finger on the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse. The imperial doctors there looked displeased. Isn¡¯t the Emperor pping us in the face? How long has this little yatou been learning medicine? And she studies external trauma. How can she cure the Empress Dowager¡¯s illness?

    Zi You could naturally feel the displeased and contemptuous gazes of these doctors. She couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®It¡¯s not me who wants to treat the Empress Dowager. It¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s orders. If you are displeased, vent at the Emperor. Why are you ring at me?¡¯

    She was inwardly ck belly, but she still looked calm and confident. She seriously read the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse for more than a quarter of an hour. She got up and curtsied to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, can Chennu look at the Empress Dowager¡¯s medical record?¡±

    The Emperor really wanted to test her. He didn¡¯t answer, but asked instead, ¡°Why is Muhou ill?¡±

    Zi You looked at the imperial doctors looking contemptuously at her. She replied calmly and slowly. ¡°Her tongue is red and coated in moisture. Her pulse is in disarray. Phlegm has blocked her lungs and thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities. She should boil and drink four grams of ephedra; ten grams of almond, tangerine peel, Scuteria, faban pinellia; fifteen grams of mulberry peel, Ophiopogon japonicus, Pseudosteria; thirty grams of dandelion and gypsum; and six grams of Glycyrrhiza. Then acupuncture should be performed too.¡±

    At this time, Wang Yiping¡¯s lover Imperial Doctor Qin shouted, ¡°Emperor, this prescription has been used. The effects aren¡¯t great.¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t panic, but looked up at the Emperor. She continued, ¡°Emperor, can Chennu see the Empress Dowager¡¯s medical record?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to insist, but it must be known that with different amounts of medicinal herbs, the effects would naturally be different. These imperial doctors weren¡¯t seeking merit, but were seeking to be faultless. They didn¡¯t dare to blindly prescribe medicine. As such, of course Zi You wanted to see the medical record.

    Besides, she had long wanted to deal with this Imperial Doctor Qin. Since he dared to jump out now, he must certainly want to seek revenge for Wang Yiping. He really didn¡¯t know how to die. As such, Zi You naturally wouldn¡¯t let him down.

    The Emperor waved his hand at the imperial doctors. ¡°Let her see the medical record.¡±

    The imperial doctors didn¡¯t have a choice and could only hand the medical record to Zi You.

    Zi You looked through the medical record carefully. She saw that the Empress Dowager¡¯s prescribed medicine was about the same as hers. But the dosages were a lot less, especially gypsum and dandelion. Such a little dose of ten grams was clearly not enough for such a severe case like the Empress Dowager¡¯s.

    If her illness wasn¡¯t treated with gypsum, she could slip into aa, be delirious, and get asthma, heat stroke, spontaneous sweating, headache, toothache rashes, and mouth sores.

    Dandelion had a detoxification effect. But it was especially good for treating liver pain, red eyes, swelling, pain, and a variety of infections and purulent diseases. It also treated carbuncles, swelling, and fevers.

    Zi You said to the Emperor with the medical record in her hands, ¡°Emperor, Chennu¡¯s prescribed medicinal herbs are the same as the imperial doctors, but the dosages are much higher. The Empress Dowager¡¯s case is so severe that efficacy is difficult to guarantee with such small amounts of medicinal herbs.¡±

    Imperial Doctor Qin immediately rebutted, ¡°Emperor, it¡¯s not that Chen doesn¡¯t want to increase the amounts, but the Empress Dowager is older. Her constitution is too weak. She isn¡¯t suitable to be treated with cold medicines. Instead, it will be counterproductive.

    ¡°Chen not only wants to cure the Empress Dowager, but we should also measure the Empress Dowager¡¯s physical constitution.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please think twice, Emperor. The Empress Dowager hasn¡¯t eaten anything for several days. Her body is already weak and deficient. It¡¯s not appropriate to userge doses of antipyretic medicinal herbs. She won¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    For a time, the imperial doctors quarreled. Shangguan LingRan was irritated. These darned old fools. They¡¯re all a bunch of garbage! If you¡¯re so powerful, why isn¡¯t imperial grandmother getting better, but instead taking a turn for the worse?

    He angrily shouted, ¡°Shut up! You can¡¯t do this. You can¡¯t do that. Imperial grandmother¡¯s illness has dragged on for more than two months. I haven¡¯t seen you cure her. What use are you garbage?¡±

    Then he plopped and knelt down to the Emperor. ¡°Imperial uncle, let this yatou try! Chen knows that there is danger, but it¡¯s still hope! If this keeps dragging on, imperial grandmother......¡±

    He kowtowed and cried while speaking. Hepletely looked like the image of being filial to the Empress Dowager, while being an ipetent dandy.

    But when he roared, the Empress Dowager drowsily woke up. She saw Shangguan LingRan kowtowing, pleading, and crying to her Emperor son. She was suddenly distressed and touched. It was this grandson who cared about her the most! This child didn¡¯t go anywhere and stayed by her bedside when she had been ill intermittently for two months. He was so fond of ying and being idle, but he put away his mischievous heart for her!

    The Empress Dowager immediately reached out and weakly called, ¡°Ling¡¯er,e here. Come to grandma.¡±

    She was feeling loving. She didn¡¯t even call herself ¡°imperial grandmother¡± and instead called herself, ¡°grandma.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately crawled up and ran over. He hugged the Empress Dowager and cried, ¡°Imperial grandmother, get better quickly. Grandson doesn¡¯t want you to feel bad. Grandson is distressed......¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s heart broke into several pieces listening to his cries. Her desire for survival grew more intense. Aijia can¡¯t die. If Aijia dies, others won¡¯t care, but won¡¯t this grandson die from sorrow. This child is pitiful! For brotherly love, his Fuwang ignores him and doesn¡¯t care about him. His imperial uncle wants to kill him. If Aijia dies, the Emperor will immediately and unscrupulously target him.

    A sharp light shed through the Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes, which were very simr to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s. She nced at her Emperor son and said to Zi You, ¡°Yatou, Aijia will forgive your mistakes. Try...... to use your method to prescribe medicine for Aijia.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Empress Dowager.¡± Zi You immediately curtsied.

    The Emperor was flustered by his Muhou¡¯s nce. Does Muhou suspect that Zhen doesn¡¯t want her to get better? The heavens can be Zhen¡¯s witness! Zhen doesn¡¯t want to kill you. Although Zhen dislikes you meddling in everything, the Xiongnus in the north are on the move. How can Zhen dare to let anything happen to you? If something happens to you, An Wang will resign and won¡¯t guard the northern border for Zhen. When the Xiongnus wage war, who will Zhen talk to?

    The Emperor immediately went over and softlyforted his Muhou. ¡°Okay, Muhou. Don¡¯t be anxious. I will have the yatou treat you.¡±

    Zi You quickly wrote out a prescription. At this time, Taizi and Third Wangzi had heard the news that Zi You had returned and had rushed over. After a while, even Second Wangzi came. They all brought pce servants. For a time, Jingyang Pce was crowded.

    Zi You handed the prescription over to and exined what should be done to a pce maid. Then she went over to curtsy to Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi. Then she said to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, the Empress Dowager is already having difficulty breathing. So many people in the room will be more unfavorable to the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition. Please leave only one or two people to serve the Empress Dowager, Emperor.¡±

    The Emperor saw his three sons stare at Zi You ever since they came in. So how could he not understand what his sons were thinking? Even his second son couldn¡¯t bear it and secretly looked at Zi You from time to time. The Emperor immediately felt ufortable, as if his treasure was being coveted.

    He was about to kick all of his sons out when he heard Third Wangzi say, ¡°Fuwang, Erchen is willing to stay and serve imperial grandmother.¡±

    The Empress Dowager was wise. She immediately understood what Third Wangzi was thinking. She couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Serving Aijia? Aijia has been ill for so long, but why didn¡¯t you serve then? Now, you want to serve? Don¡¯t you have an ulterior motive?

    She thought that and felt that Shangguan LingRan¡¯s sincerity was even more valuable. She panted and gasped, ¡°Emperor, don¡¯t...... Don¡¯t dy government matters for Aijia. You all leave. Leave behind...... Just leave behind the yatou and Ling¡¯er.¡±

    Since the Empress Dowager had spoken, whether it was the Emperor or the wangzis, they could only obediently leave. But they looked at Zi You¡¯s beautiful face that was like a flower in the water and thought her more and more capable of overturning a country. The unspeakable unwillingness and determination to obtain her became more resolute.

    When the Emperor and the wangzis left, Shangguan LingRan immediately waved to the imperial doctors and said, ¡°You all leave too. You¡¯re all garbage!¡±

    The imperial doctors were scolded and retreated unwillingly. But they were displeased and thought, ¡®Huh. You¡¯re the garbage. The true garbage!¡¯

    Zi You looked at their unwilling expressions and secretly sneered. This group of arrogant narcissists, including the two imperial doctors who had taught the female medical team and wereter sent to the free clinic, all disdained women.

    Today, I will shut you all up and make you no longer despise women. Zi You was secretly ruthless and contemted how to use this matter to drag Imperial Doctor Qin down.

    She knew that that old man must certainly know about her and Wang Yiping¡¯s grudges. He couldn¡¯t wait to jump out earlier with so many people and even the Emperor around. In the future, he certainly wouldn¡¯t stop and would target her.

    Zi You immediately generated her spiritual power to inform spirit mouse Xiaohui to follow Imperial Doctor Qin and the pce maid who went to decoct medicine.

    Then she secretly told Shangguan LingRan, ¡°I want to get rid of that Imperial Doctor Qin. I also want to use my spiritual power to treat the Empress Dowager. Help me guard the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom. Don¡¯t let anyonee inside.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan replied without moving. ¡°Wait until the nighttime. People areing in and out now. It¡¯s not safe. YouYou, I missed you. Did you miss me?¡±

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but look up to re at him. But she saw Shangguan LingRan looking unabashed at her. The brilliance pouring out of his phoenix eyes were hot like fire as if it wanted to roast her.

    Even the Empress Dowager could detect that something was wrong with her grandson. She looked at Zi You and then looked at her grandson. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    Mu Xiaojie was already engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi. If her grandson liked her so much, wouldn¡¯t he end up dejected?

    But don¡¯t do anything improper! No. When she gets better, she needed to find a match for her grandson.

    The Empress Dowager immediately panted and said to Shangguan LingRan, ¡°Ling¡¯er, you...... haven¡¯t had a good rest...... in two months. Now...... Mu Xiaojie is here...... You should go rest.¡±

    These two months for Shangguan LingRan felt like a year! That was because he and Zi You¡¯s rtionship had taken a big leap forwards. It could be said that they had pledged their love.

 Chapter 182 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [2]

    <h4>Chapter 182 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [2]</h4>

    He was experiencing love for the first time. He was so eager to see his beloved little woman. But because the Empress Dowager was ill, he couldn¡¯t go to Mount Yunmeng to meet up with his beloved person.

    Now that his beloved was back, how could he be willing to go sleep? The thing that he wanted to do the most was to embrace Zi You in his arms and talk about the pain of being separated.

    So, Shangguan LingRan immediately shook his head. ¡°Imperial grandmother, grandson isn¡¯t tired. Grandson wants to keep youpany.¡±

    The Empress Dowager could only drive him away. ¡°Go out. Grandma has something to say to Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan reluctantly pursed his mouth and left unwillingly.

    The Empress Dowager looked at Zi You. The girl¡¯s ck hair was gathered into a Liuyun Bun. Two palm-sized white jade lily hairpins were inserted in the bun. She was wearing an ice-blue dress. The long skirt undted like a fairy standing amidst the waves in the sea. She was dignified, noble, and elegant. A pair of deep eyes shone with cloud-like brilliance on her face with no makeup on.

    No wonder her son and grandsons seemed to have lost their souls for her. Zi You had not reached marriageable age yet, but she was already so outstanding. When she grew up, who knew how many people would be fascinated by her?

    Since ancient times, beauty was a curse. Who knew whether this yatou would bring disaster or luck to Great Yan? If she really tangled with Taizi and Third Wangzi and hurt Ling¡¯er, then she really could not be left alive.

    Zi You saw that the Empress Dowager¡¯s uncertain gaze. She more or less guessed this olddy¡¯s thoughts.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®What does it have to do with me if your son and grandsons like me? Are you going to kill me?¡¯

    She was calm and not panicked. She leisurely took out a silver needle and said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Empress Dowager, Chennu will perform acupuncture for you now. There will be some pain, but please endure it. It will be very effective to treating your asthma. You can talk to Chennu to distract yourself. That way, the pain will be less.¡±

    Zi You took out sixteen silver needles and inserted them into the Empress Dowager¡¯s Dingchuan, Feishu, Dazhiu acupuncture points...... While she was performing acupuncture, she heard the Empress Dowager ask, ¡°Yatou, what do you think about An Wang...... Shizi?¡±

    Zi You deliberately thought for a while before answering, ¡°Chennu had heard that Shizi acts presumptuously. Later, Chennu thought that Shizi is like a spoiled child. But Chennu just saw him cry out of anxiousness for Empress Dowager. Chennu thinks that Shizi is a really filial person. The saying is that men don¡¯t easily cry. It looks like Shizi really loves Empress Dowager.¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Zi You¡¯s words didn¡¯t let the Empress Dowager detect any ws. She then asked, ¡°Then what about Taizi?¡±

    After Zi You finished performing acupuncture, she calmly knelt in front of the Empress Dowager. ¡°Empress Dowager, Chennu doesn¡¯t dare to discuss the heir apparent to a country. Besides, Chennu has only seen Taizi twice. There is no interaction. Chennu is really not qualified toment.¡±

    ¡°But Taizi and Third Wangzi...... asked the Emperor...... to marry you.¡± The Empress Dowager panted breathlessly. ¡°Especially Taizi. His quota ...... for cefeis is full. But he still asked...... asked the Emperor to add...... a cefei position. Isn¡¯t that all...... for you?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t know why Taizi did so. Chennu can only moderate myself to not do anything that vites ¡®Female Virtues¡¯ and ¡®Female Disciplines.¡¯ Chennu dares to use my reputation and life to guarantee that Chennu has never done anything improper with any man.

    ¡°That includes Duke Yongnan Shizi. When Chennu treated him, it was with the intentions of getting engaged to him. Chennu treated him with the elders present and did do anything that disgraced the General¡¯s Manor. Grandfather is aware of this.¡±

    I can¡¯t control what other people do, old woman. I can only control myself. Zi You spoke reasonable and righteously. The Empress Dowager froze and tried to test her again. ¡°Aijia heard that you and Duke Yongnan¡¯s engagement...... wasn¡¯t by choice. If you dissolve the engagement, what if Aijia bestows a marriage for you to...... to An Wang Shizi?¡±

    Zi You sneered. I¡¯m afraid that if I say yes, you will immediately execute me. You think that I seduced your grandsons and is a fickle woman.

    Zi You didn¡¯t pause and immediately replied, ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t child¡¯s y. Besides, since ancient times, engagements are finalized with the parents¡¯ orders and the matchmaker¡¯s advice. Chennu doesn¡¯t dare and doesn¡¯t want to contradict what the elders decide on.¡±

    The Empress Dowager had already been bedridden for more than two months. She hadn¡¯t gotten better and now her asthma was so heavy. She persisted in testing Zi You for so long and was now extremely tired.

    In addition, Zi You had performed acupuncture on her, so she was feelingfortable. She closed her mouth and her eyes and went to sleep.

    Shangguan LingRan was in one of the rooms in Jingyang Pce. How could he sleep when he was thinking about Zi You?

    He thought it over and immediately jumped up. He crept back to the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom.

    He had listened to their conversation. His face sunk. He had thought that as long as he told the Empress Dowager what he wanted, the Empress Dowager would be able to stand up for him. Now, it seemed that he had thought too simply.

    He didn¡¯t expect that the old woman actually wanted to kill YouYou. That was true! No matter how much she loved him, she had to put the interests of the imperial family first. She couldn¡¯t watch wangzis and their cousin Shizipete and fight with each other over a woman and be divided. The imperial family would be a joke.

    It seemed that it would be very difficult for him and Zi You to be together. He could only rely on himself for this matter. He couldn¡¯t rely on anyone else. He could only use the Empress Dowager¡¯s feelings then. I don¡¯t believe that if I can¡¯t live without her, you would still want to kill her.

    The Empress Dowager had specifically named Zi You to serve her while she was ill, so Zi You could not return home. After Shangguan LingRan had heard the Empress Dowager and Zi You¡¯s conversation, he was afraid that the Empress Dowager would want to kill Zi You again. So, he had fought back his feelings of missing her and didn¡¯t dare to go see her. Only when the Empress Dowager slept at night did Shangguan LingRan jumped through the window.

    Zi You whispered some words in his ear. A sharp light shed in his eyes. Then he hid behind the Empress Dowager¡¯s curtain.

    At this time, the pce maid Yurong had brought over the Empress Dowager¡¯s second dose of medicine. Zi You looked at Yurong. She was about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was wearing the standard Pce attire. She looked like a delicate and pretty girl. Her eyes were very expressive, with a bit of unknown light.

    She brought the medicine over to feed the Empress Dowager. Zi You stopped her. ¡°Put it there. I will personally feed herter.¡±

    Yurong had followed the Empress Dowager for two years already. Although she wasn¡¯t a confidant among the Empress Dowager¡¯s first-rank pce maids, she had some status. She immediately retorted, ¡°Mu Xiaojie, Nubi is on duty tonight. Feeding medicine is Nubi¡¯s job. Nubi doesn¡¯t dare to let anyone else do it. It will be difficult to exin if something happens.¡±

    She looked mockingly at Zi You and picked up the bowl of medicine again.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes darkened. She sneered, ¡°Oh? So that means that if something happens to the Empress Dowager, you will be responsible for it? Okay. Go ahead and feed her then.¡±

    ¡°Nubi doesn¡¯t dare.¡± Yurong immediately put down the bowl. ¡°Mu Xiaojie, Nubi is just worried about the Empress Dowager and is not disobeying you. You can¡¯t push your responsibility onto Nubi. You are the Empress Dowager¡¯s imperial doctor!¡±

    Zi You looked coldly at her and didn¡¯t speak, but that was enough to make Yurong sweat. Yurong thought that this girl who was younger than her had cold eyes that could prate her heart and clean the filth hidden in her heart.

    Yes. The bowl of medicine had 230 grams of gypsum and dandelion and not thirty grams.

    Little spirit mouse Xiaohui had clearly seen Imperial Doctor Qin and Yurong¡¯s criminal activities.

    Imperial Doctor Qin had given Yurong 100 gold taels and 200 grams of gypsum and dandelion. He had whispered, ¡°Put this inside the medicine and the 100 gold taels are yours.¡±

    Yurong had hesitated at first. Was 100 gold taels worth losing her head? She had thought about it and refused. ¡°Imperial Doctor Qin, this is a death penalty. Nubi doesn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Imperial Doctor Qin revealed his ruthlessness. ¡°You already know my intentions. If you don¡¯t do it, you will die anyway. If you do it and seed, then I will give you another 500 gold taels.¡±

    Facing death and personal interests, Yurong had finally agreed to betray the Empress Dowager and took the medicinal herbs. She had said to Imperial Doctor Qin, ¡°You better keep your word. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you go even if I be a ghost.¡±

    Yurong was guilty, so she was naturally afraid when she saw Zi You looking at her like this. She stammered and asked, ¡°Mu...... Xiaojie, why are you looking...... at Nubi......?¡±

    Zi You smiled as enchantingly at the night poppy. ¡°What do you think I should do with a ve who betrays her master for 600 gold taels?¡±

    Yurong was shocked. She wanted to speak, but Shangguan LingRan suddenly jumped out and struck her neck.

    He then fiercely kicked her. If he didn¡¯t have to keep her as bait, he would have burned her to ashes. ¡°YouYou, what next?¡±

    Zi You shook her head vigntly. Shangguan LingRan whispered to her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My secret guards are outside.¡±

    Zi You then nodded, reassured. ¡°We¡¯ll wake her upter. I think that there are other people behind Imperial Doctor Qin. It seems unlikely for an imperial doctor to take out 600 gold taels.......¡±

 Chapter 183 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [3]

    <h4>Chapter 183 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [3]</h4>

    Zi You whispered into Shangguan LingRan¡¯s ear. Shangguan LingRan nodded while he was listening. He then held her hand and wanted to say something. Zi You covered his mouth and shook her head. She pointed at the Empress Dowager. ¡°We¡¯ll talk after I feed her the medicine and perform acupuncture on her sleep point.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan nodded. ¡°What to do with this medicine?¡±

    ¡°Keep it for evidence.¡± Zi You replied, ¡°I will go decoct a new bowl. I don¡¯t trust other people. You look after the Empress Dowager.¡± Then she quietly left.

    An hourter, she came back with a bowl of medicine in her hands. She waved her hand and Shangguan LingRan went back to hide. She brought the medicine over to the bed and softly called out, ¡°Empress Dowager, it¡¯s time to take your medicine. Empress Dowager......¡±

    She called out five times before the Empress Dowager woke up.

    Zi You brought the medicine to her lips and watched her gulp it down. Then she gave her water to rinse her mouth and put a candied fruit in her mouth.

    The Empress Dowager went to sleep again. Zi You quickly tapped her sleep acupuncture point.

    After a while, Shangguan LingRan shed out from behind the bed curtain. He pulled Zi You into his arms and tightly hugged her. He asked lowly, ¡°YouYou, I missed you to death. Did you miss me?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. Shangguan LingRan leaned over. The amorous feelings from his eyes made one¡¯s heart tremble. He hugged Zi You¡¯s waist and covered her lips in punishment. He kissed her hard and asked again, ¡°Did you miss me?¡±

    This overbearing expression seemed like if Zi You said no, he would punish her again.

    Zi You was helpless and could only nod. In fact, she actually did miss this dandy. Especially in the dead of the night, he would certainly appear and disturb her dreams.

    Zi You red at him bashfully and angrily. ¡°Hateful!¡±

    Her voice was sweet. Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but shake. Her shimmering starry eyes also held deep feelings. He reached out to raise her small face and gave her kisses on her smooth forehead, bright starry eyes, small nose, and pink lips. His voice held extreme control and deep yearning. ¡°I really regret that we had to separate that night......¡±

    His voice fell and his mouth covered Zi You¡¯s mouth. He didn¡¯t hesitate as he pried open her teeth and shared her every bit of sweetness and breath. He forced her to forget everything and ept and respond to his affection and breath.

    Shangguan LingRan finally let go of Zi You when they were both breathing unevenly. He looked at her small face turning red and shy gasps. Her voice was even turning hoarse. He lifted the hair that had fallen onto her cheek and softly asked, ¡°How long will it take for you to return from the mountains?¡±

    Zi You had almost no strength and leaned against him. Her charming eyes were delicate and unique. She gasped, ¡°Maybe summer.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Shangguan LingRan sadly sighed. ¡°Heavens...... Isn¡¯t this torture?! YouYou, quickly treat imperial grandmother so that I can go find you in the mountains or I will be lovesick.¡±

    ¡°Smooth talker! Who knows how many women you have said these words to?¡± Zi You deliberately provoked him.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s handsome face was immediately covered in ayer of haze. ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯m a dandy? I, Shangguan LingRan, have only said these words to you in my life. I will never say them to anyone else. Don¡¯t doubt me. These doubts make me feel bad!¡±

    He was obviously angry. The veins on his temple were popping out.

    Zi You quickly reached out to rub his temple. She looked up at him and whispered, ¡°Why are you angry? I was just joking.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear such jokes.¡± Shangguan LingRan put his head down on her shoulder.

    Because there was a huge height difference between them, this posture was very awkward. Shangguan LingRan almost had to bend his legs.

    But he didn¡¯t seem to care at all. He continued confessing while leaning against her. ¡°YouYou, remember. I don¡¯t like you doubting me. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be like your old man and marry so many women and make you cry. I want you to always live happily. I won¡¯t let you cry a single tear.¡±

    Zi You shook. She looked at his phoenix eyes. His narrow phoenix eyes glittered so that the brilliance in a whole sky couldn¡¯tpare to it. They looked at her with affection as deep as the sky and as seriously and firmly as if they wanted her to drown in them.

    A person¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t fool people. Zi You thought of Zhao HongXiang from her previous life. Every time that he swore an oath, his eyes always shifted. He didn¡¯t dare to look at her or his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. She believed that Shangguan LingRan was not lying to her.

    So, she reached out and grabbed Shangguan LingRan¡¯s big hand. She solemnly said, ¡°Okay. I will never doubt you.¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Shangguan LingRan smiled happily. His magnificent phoenix eyes were as bright as stars.

    Zi You looked at Yurong on the ground and then at the hourss. She knew that this wasn¡¯t the time for them to linger over emotions. She immediately said to him, ¡°I¡¯m going to use my spiritual power to treat the Empress Dowager. Drag her aside and watch the door. Don¡¯t let anyonee inside.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shangguan LingRan went over and kicked Yurong over to the door. Then he walked over to stand by the door.

    Zi You focused and generated her spiritual power. Her eyes gradually became purple. Her eyes prated the Empress Dowager¡¯s body and looked at her lungs.

    From this view, she could see there was congestion on her bronchial wall, edema, inmmatory infiltration of the lungs, and oozing of and solidified lung fluid. Zi You immediately used her spiritual power and aimed it at that area.

    A quarter of an hourter, she saw that the congested and inmed area had basically be normal. Then she slowly withdrew her spiritual power.

    She immediately whispered to Shangguan LingRan, ¡°It¡¯s done, Shangguan LingRan.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately ran over to her. He took a look at her eyes and was stunned.

    At this time, Zi You¡¯s eyes were still purple because she had just used her spiritual power.

    They were clear, limpid, and bright eyes that gleamed and dazzled...... Shangguan LingRan tried to speak, but he didn¡¯t have the words to describe the beauty of Zi You¡¯s eyes.

    The world¡¯s most beautiful amethyst, purple gem, or purple grape immersed in water would not shock him as much as her eyes did. Her beauty really was shocking to the core!

    Shangguan LingRan thought that if the lecherous Emperor and his sons saw that his YouYou had such a beautiful pair of eyes, wouldn¡¯t they be even more desperate to obtain her?

    Once he thought of this, he couldn¡¯t remain calm. He hugged her and said, flustered and panicked, ¡°YouYou, don¡¯t use your spiritual power. I don¡¯t want others to see your beautiful eyes.¡±

    ¡°En, I know.¡± Zi You hurriedly promised after seeing him nervous. She understood why he was afraid. Shangguan LingRan did not have enough strength to fight against Taizi and the Emperor. After all, his substitute before really was a dandy. And it had only been a little more than two years since Shangguan LingRan reced his substitute and returned to the capital.

    Shangguan LingRan thought of how it was very difficult for him to finally fall in love with a woman. But he couldn¡¯t publicly marry her and had to sneak around. He was depressed to death. He hugged Zi You and secretly vowed that he must be powerful. He had to be powerful enough that he didn¡¯t need to fear imperial power and that he could protect Zi You.

    They spoke some more. Then they woke up Yurong. Shangguan LingRan ran to continue hiding behind the bed curtain.

    Yurong looked at Zi You smiling enchantingly while sitting and holding a soft sword against her throat. Yurong was immediately scared and panicked. She stammered as she said, ¡°Mu Xiaojie, Nubi...... Nubi is the Empress Dowager¡¯s first- ...... first-rank pce maid. You have no right to do this to me.¡±

    Zi You was toozy to speak nonsense with her. She lifted Yurong¡¯s chin and threw a poison pill into her mouth. ¡°This xiaojie is toozy to speak nonsense with you. If you don¡¯t want to die, then be obedient. Do you know what you just ate?

    ¡°¡®Three Days¡¯ Fragrance.¡¯ If you don¡¯t take the antidote, three dayster, you will watch as your skin begin to rot. Then the muscles and then the internal organs. The experience is guaranteed to make you be in so much pain that you will wish that you were dead.¡±

    Yurong¡¯s first reaction was to use her finger to stimte her pte to induce vomiting. But her finger had just moved when a pain came from her throat. Zi You¡¯s sword had pierced into her skin.

    Yurong trembled. Her finger shrunk back. Tears and snot flew as she howled, ¡°Mu Xiaojie, what do...... What do you want Nubi to do?¡±

    She was very loud, thinking that she would wake the Empress Dowager up, but the Empress Dowager was still sleeping without any reaction.

    Yurong was extremely anxious, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask. She didn¡¯t know where the other first-rank night pce maid Furong had gone to. She didn¡¯t know that Shangguan LingRan had tapped Furong¡¯s sleep acupuncture point. Furong was sleeping deeply in the next room.

    Zi You saw her howling loudly and her eyes turning. She immediately guessed her thoughts. Zi You coldly scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s no use even if you shout until you break your throat. If someonees, you will die. If you don¡¯t want to die, then be obedient.¡±

    Yurong saw that Zi You seemed to have mind-reading powers and could read her thoughts. Her voice immediately shrunk. She kowtowed as she asked, ¡°Mu Xiaojie, what do you want Nubi to do?¡±

    Zi You stretched out a slender and white finger and crooked it. She then put her soft sword away.

    Yurong approached her with horror. She looked at her like she was looking at a demon. After hearing her orders, she helplessly nodded.

    Zi You pped her hands. Shangguan LingRan immediately came out from behind the bed curtain. Yurong saw him and the color on her face immediately dissipated.

    Compared to Zi You, Yurong was more afraid of Shangguan LingRan.

 Chapter 184 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [4]

    <h4>Chapter 184 Treating the Empress Dowager and Encountering a Scheme [4]</h4>

    Half a year ago, there was a first-rank pce maid Hongcai, who relied on the trust and affection of the Empress Dowager, to attempt to seduce this dandy Shizi and fly up the branches to be a phoenix.

    Even the Empress Dowager had this intention. She had given Hongcai to Shangguan LingRan to be a tongfang yatou.

    So, Hongcai grew bold. There was one time when Shangguan LingRan was drunk and she had wanted to kiss him. As a result, she hadn¡¯t even gotten close and hadn¡¯t kissed him, but she was kicked flying by Shangguan LingRan.

    The crueler thing was still toe. Shangguan LingRan had smiled wickedly. ¡°You want a man so badly? Okay. Then this Shizi will take you to a ce where there are many men.¡±

    Everyone had seen Shangguan LingRan take Hongcai out of the Pce. The Empress Dowager had seen it too, but she saw her precious grandson angry and didn¡¯t even try stopping him. She merely watched as he took Hongcai away.

    Later on, when Shangguan LingRan had returned, the Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You sold Hongcai to a brothel?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan still smiled devilishly charmingly. He said very gently, ¡°No, no. How can I be willing to sell her? I took her to serve the prisoners on death row. Those male prisoners can definitely satisfy her lust.¡±

    Hongcai had only wanted to kiss him, but her ending was so miserable. Now that Yurong had betrayed the Empress Dowager, what would he do to her?

    Yurong looked at Shangguan LingRan like she was looking at the devil. She was scared into repeatedly kowtowing. She was about to lose control of her bowels.

    The night soon passed. No, to be exact, before dawn, news came from ¡°Jingyang Pce¡± that the Empress Dowager¡¯s condition had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

    The Emperor was alerted too. The Empress and all the consorts also came.

    Shangguan LingRan just arrived at Jingyang Pce and immediately rushed over. He cried out, ¡°Imperial grandmother vomited and had diarrhea all night after taking medicine in the evening.¡±

    Zi You also seemed to be in a panic. She was at a loss in front of the Empress Dowager¡¯s bed. She immediately knelt when she saw the Emperor.

    The Emperor immediately snapped, ¡°Hurry and call the other imperial doctors over for the Empress Dowager.¡±

    Then he looked at Zi You. His face didn¡¯t look like amiable like usual. Instead, he stared coldly at her and asked, ¡°Mu Zi You, you¡¯ve let down Zhen¡¯s trust in you. Zhen trusts you. That¡¯s why Zhen appointed you as the Empress Dowager¡¯s doctor. But now, what is going on?¡±

    Zi You kowtowed and pretended to be panicked as she exined, ¡°Emperor, Chennu doesn¡¯t know how this happened. ording to Chennu¡¯s prescribed dosages, these symptoms shouldn¡¯t appear. But the Empress Dowager has symptoms of poisoning. Emperor, the Empress Dowager has been poisoned.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense!¡± Just then, the imperial doctors arrived.

    Imperial Doctor Qin was the first one to jump out. He was very proud in his heart, but he pretended to look angry. He pointed to Zi You and shouted, ¡°What poisoning? It¡¯s obviously you who used too much gypsum. The Empress Dowager¡¯s body is already deficient. How can she withstand such arge dosage of cold medicine? Your medical skills are not up to par, but you¡¯re here shirking your responsibility.

    ¡°The pce servant who decocted the medicine is someone whom the Empress Dowager trusted. Why would she poison the Empress Dowager?¡±

    At this time, Imperial Doctor Fu, who had taught the female medical team, finally frowned and stood up after a fierce battle with himself. He said fairly, ¡°Emperor, from Chen reading the Empress Dowager¡¯s pulse, her body is indeed deficient. But thirty grams of gypsum will not cause such serious side effects. From the Empress Dowager¡¯s vomiting and diarrhea, it can be seen that the dosage of gypsum is more than thirty grams.¡±

    Although he was displeased that his students were more valued by the Emperor than he was, it was now a matter of life or death. He couldn¡¯t watch as Mu Zi You get killed for this.

    Although as a teacher, he was jealous that his student was more outstanding than he was, in reality, he was very impressed with the little yatou Zi You.

    Two more imperial doctors stood out to confirm, ¡°Emperor, Imperial Doctor Fu is right. Thirty grams of gypsum will not cause these poisoning symptoms. Unless....... Something has greatly changed in the Empress Dowager¡¯s deficient constitution overnight.

    ¡°But this change is unlikely to happen, Emperor. Chen has always been using cold medicinal herbs.¡±

    Second Wangzi immediately bowed to the Emperor in his wheelchair. ¡°Fuwang, Erchen thinks that we should find the pce servants who prepared and decocted the medicine.¡±

    The Emperor looked deeply at Second Wangzi and then at the circle of pce servants. ¡°Who was on dutyst night? Who prepared the medicine for the Empress Dowager and who boiled it? Stand out for Zhen.¡±

    Eunuch Shihai and pce maids Yurong and Furong stood out. ¡°Nubi (Nucai) decocted and prepared the medicine for the Empress Dowager.¡±

    The Emperor looked at Yurong and Shihai. A monarch¡¯s momentum made Yurong shudder. ¡°Did you decoct the medicine ording to what he [Shihai] gave you?¡±

    Yurong had already been frightened to death by Zi You and Shangguan LingRan. She couldn¡¯t wait to quickly give up Imperial Doctor Qin to save her own life.

    So, she quickly knelt and kowtowed. She pulled out 100 gold taels. ¡°Nubi deserves to die, Emperor! Nubi shouldn¡¯t have been greedy and agreed with Imperial Doctor Qin. At his order, Nubi added 200 grams of gypsum and dandelion to the Empress Dowager¡¯s medicine.¡±

    Imperial Doctor Qin never thought that Yurong would give him up.

    He was scared into a fluster. He knelt down and desperately kowtowed. ¡°Emperor, Chen is innocent! Chen doesn¡¯t know this pce maid. Why would she frame Chen? And why would Chen poison the Empress Dowager? How can Chen not know that this is a capital crime?¡±

    Yurong saw him denying it and kowtowed in a panic to the Emperor. ¡°Emperor, Nubi has no reason to poison the Empress Dowager. Besides, where did Nubi¡¯s golde from? Nubi has no grudge with Imperial Doctor Qin. Why would Nubi frame him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mu Zi You.¡± Imperial Doctor Qin immediately pointed to Zi You and shouted. ¡°Emperor, it must be Mu Xiaojie who bribed this cheap ve to frame Chen.¡±

    At this time, Zi You¡¯s panic waspletely gone. She was standing there calmly. She looked at Imperial Doctor Qin with ridicule. ¡°Imperial Doctor Qin¡¯s words are a bit strange. I have no grudges or resentment with you. Why would I risk being beheaded to harm you?¡±

    Imperial Doctor Qin was suddenly speechless. What was he going to say? Was he going to tell everyone that he was having an affair with Wang Yiping and that he had helped Wang Yiping harm Zi You before?

    But he was not an ordinary person. His brain turned very fast. He immediately said to the Emperor, ¡°It must be because Chen said something that disagreed with her yesterday. Mu Xiaojie resents Chen, so......¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you thinking too highly of yourself?¡± Third Wangzi looked mockingly at Imperial Doctor Qin. ¡°Are you saying that just because you said some words that disagreed with Mu Xiaojie¡¯s treatment n, Mu Xiaojie poisoned imperial grandmother and bribed this pce maid to frame you?

    ¡°Fuwang, do you think that Mu Xiaojie would be so crazy and stupid?¡±

    Who would believe that? Poisoning the Empress Dowager was a crime that would result in the execution of her whole family. Only if Mu Zi You¡¯s head was filled with water would she be crazy to this extent because of a few contradictoryments by Imperial Doctor Qin yesterday.

    But someone believed it. The Emperor¡¯s favored consort Lin Pin, prettily and delicately said, ¡°Emperor, that¡¯s not easy to say! Perhaps Mu Xiaojie really is a small-minded person and can¡¯t hear anything that contradicts her?¡±

    Zi You looked at this sixteen- or seventeen-year-old. She was wearing a light pink brocade crescent moon skirt with silk brocade flowers on it. The silvery red brocade neckline and belt were embroidered with crystal white North Sea pearls. She wore a pair of bright pink embroidered shoes. She had a Flying Moon bun. Her skin was white. Light makeup was on her elegant jade-like face. Her delicate face revealed a charming woman.

    Zi You refuted, ¡°Oh, then this consort is a vicious person who will poison an innocent person and put her family at risk because of a few contradictory words? Otherwise, Chennu finds it difficult to imagine why there is such a stupid, petty, and vicious person.¡±

    Regardless of how Lin Pin¡¯s beautiful face was filled with viciousness, Zi You bowed to the Emperor. ¡°Emperor, you can investigate as to what kind of person Chennu is. Also, Chennu did not leave the Empress Dowagerst night. The pce maid Furong can testify.

    ¡°Chennu wants to ask where the gypsum and dandelion came from. And where did the 100 gold taelse from? Even if Chennu is stupid, ignorant, and petty, would Chennu know ahead of time that Chennu was going toe treat the Empress Dowager and that Imperial Doctor Qin could oppose Chennu?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan then came over and kicked Yurong. ¡°Cheap maid! You¡¯re still not speaking the truth? Otherwise, this Shizi will shred you into a thousand pieces!¡±

    ¡°Emperor.¡±Yurong was so scared that she started kowtowing again. She cried out, ¡°Emperor, Nubi swears to the heavens that if Nubi spoke one false word, Nubi and Nubi¡¯s family will die miserable deaths.

    ¡°Nubi added the medicine that Imperial Doctor Qin gave Nubi when Nubi was decocting. But the Empress Dowager seemed so ufortable that Nubi couldn¡¯t bear it and really didn¡¯t dare to hide it anymore.

    ¡°Please hand out the punishment, Emperor and quickly detoxify for the Empress Dowager!¡±

    The Emperor looked at Imperial Doctor Qin as if he wanted to sentence him to death by a thousand cuts. He asked coldly, ¡°Who told you to murder the Empress Dowager? You¡¯re still not speaking the truth?¡±

    Imperial Doctor Qin shook his head and shouted his injustice. ¡°Chen is innocent! Why would Chen do this?¡±

    ¡°Fuwang, if he isn¡¯t tortured, he won¡¯t confess,¡± Second Wangzi slowly advised.

    Shangguan LingRan suddenly ran over and punched Imperial Doctor Qin twice. ¡°This Shizi will kill this b*stard!¡±

    ¡°Someone!¡± The Emperor called out, ¡°Drag Imperial Doctor Qin down and start the torture.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± At that moment, the Empress Dowager clearly called out. ¡°Start the torture here. Aijia wants to see who ordered him to murder Aijia.¡±

    Everyone was stunned. They looked at the refreshed Empress Dowager sit up. She didn¡¯t look like her illness had worsened.

    ¡°Muhou!¡± The Emperor went over in shock. He asked in disbelief, ¡°You...... You¡¯re better?¡±

    The Empress Dowager nodded. ¡°Aijia is a lot better after Mu Xiaojie¡¯s careful treatment. But if Mu Xiaojie didn¡¯t smell that there was something wrong with the medicine and wouldn¡¯t let Aijia drink the medicine that this cheap maid Yurong had decocted, Aijia would have died.

    ¡°He is just a small imperial doctor. Where did he get the courage to murder Aijia? And where did he get so much gold to bribe a pce maid? There must be someone behind him.

    ¡°Tell Aijia who ordered you and Aijia will spare your life. Otherwise, Aijia will let your whole family follow you in death!¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s phoenix eyes were deep when she spoke these words. She kept looking at the Emperor and the Empress.

    She had woken upst night to use thetrine. She had felt a lot morefortable.

    But she had seen that there was only Zi You there and asked in surprise, ¡°Why is it only you here serving Aijia? Where are the pce maids?¡±

    At that time, Shangguan LingRan had ran over and told her seriously, ¡°Imperial grandmother, if Mu Xiaojie wasn¡¯t vignt, you would have been harmed by someone.¡±

    The Empress Dowager was stunned! She had immediately asked, ¡°What happened? Why would you say that?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan had immediately brought Yurong over. He snapped, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you exining things to imperial grandmother?¡±

    After Yurong exined the matter with Imperial Doctor Qin, the Empress Dowager had immediately realized that Imperial Doctor Qin was being instructed by someone else. The reason was just like the one that she had said. A mere imperial doctor wouldn¡¯t have so much courage and money.

    So, the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t need Zi You and Shangguan LingRan to fan the mes, before she said to Zi You, ¡°Yatou, you¡¯ve suffered grievances to enact this y with Aijia. Aijia wants to see who wants to harm Aijia.¡±

    She had originally wanted to keep on pretending, but her good son actually wanted to take Imperial Doctor Qin away to torture him. If he was beaten to death, then wouldn¡¯t he never speak again?

    So, she couldn¡¯t help it and quickly woke up to stop him.

    The Emperor saw that the Empress Dowager suspected even him. He was so angry that his chest felt stuffy. He gnashed his teeth in hatred at Imperial Doctor Qin!

    Who ordered you to harm Muhou? Although Zhen is annoyed that she¡¯s partial, Zhen didn¡¯t say that Zhen wants her to die. If she dies, not only will brother get strong, but even Duke Anguo would not agree!

    Although Duke Anguo gave Zhen military power at the request of Muhou, Duke Anguo has ruled the army for more than twenty years. If something happens, these people might still listen to Duke Anguo.

    The Emperor thought of everyone who would want to harm his Muhou. He immediately looked at the Empress.

    Could it be her? Muhou had never liked her. Although she gave the power of the harem to her, Muhou reprimanded her from time to time. Could she have wanted to harm Muhou?

    The Emperor red at the Empress.

    How could the Empress not detect the Emperor and Empress Dowager¡¯s assessing and inquiring gazes?

    She was scared, but her expression didn¡¯t change. She stood there without emotion. This matter was indeed something that she had sent Darong Ka to do.

 Chapter 185 Silently Enduring Tears, Lofty and Unyielding Character

    <h4>Chapter 185 Silently Enduring Tears, Lofty and Unyielding Character</h4>

    But Taizi even didn¡¯t know about this matter. Imperial Doctor Qin was a lecher and a gambler. Darong Ka met Imperial Doctor Qin in a gambling den.

    At that time, Imperial Doctor Qin had lost money and was about to have his fingers chopped off. Darong Ka had appeared to save him and took the opportunity to put a gu on his body.

    Last night, the Empress had sent a letter to Darong Ka to instruct Imperial Doctor Qin to poison the Empress Dowager and frame Mu Zi You.

    Imperial Doctor Qin originally had the intentions to seek revenge for Wang Yiping. Darong Ka used the gu to sneakily ce a bag of 100 gold taels in front of Imperial Doctor Qin¡¯s study.

    Imperial Doctor Qin received the order and took the gold, gypsum, and dandelion to find Yurong as if he had lost his will.

    Yurong was extremely stupid. She had thought that she would receive another 500 gold taels after the matter wasplete. She didn¡¯t know that if the Empress Dowager died, Yurong would be punished with death.

    No one knew about Darong Ka except the Empress and Taizi. Moreover, once Darong Ka received hermand, he would immediately order the gu to kill Imperial Doctor Qin.

    The Empress had the gentlest and most pitiful expression on her face. She rubbed the unassuming and engraved dark ring on her finger as she walked towards the Empress Dowager.

    Zi You had been looking at the Emperor and Empress. Once she saw the Empress¡¯ ring, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly freeze.

    This ring wasn¡¯t pure gold or gold iid, but it was ck gold. It was a dark ring engraved with a very strange pattern.

    If it wasn¡¯t for her prating eyes, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see the pattern on the ring. She would have thought that it was ordinary ck gold ring.

    Zi You was pondering when Imperial Doctor Qin went, ¡°Ah.¡± He covered his stomach and rolled on the floor. In less than five minutes, he spat out bloody foam. His face was ck and he became motionless.

    The Emperor froze. He immediately ordered an imperial doctor, ¡°Go and see what happened to him.¡±

    The imperial doctor walked over helplessly. He reached his hand out under Imperial Doctor Qin¡¯s nose. He quickly retreated and reported, ¡°Emperor, he...... He¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The Emperor had just watched Imperial Doctor Qin die at his feet and he didn¡¯t know how he had died. He was so scared that he took three steps back.

    The Empress Dowager was clearly shocked! But she immediately reacted and shouted, ¡°Rebel. Rebel. Who is it who dared to kill a prisoner under Aijia and the Emperor¡¯s noses? Who is it?¡±

    The Empress pretended to be frightened and suddenly copsed on the Empress Dowager¡¯s bed. She covered her cherry mouth and screamed, ¡°Heavens! These people are really bold. They dare to kill someone in the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom! Is there any security? Where are the guards? Are the guards dead?¡±

    The Emperor fiercely red at the guards. He immediately shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone here off. Search them carefully for Zhen.¡±

    Zi You looked at the Empress and slowly and calmly said, ¡°Emperor, Imperial Doctor Qin is not killed by someone here. He is under the influence of a gu. The person who had given him the gu had ordered the gu to kill him.¡±

    Someone here ordered the person who had given the gu to kill Imperial Doctor Qin.

    Zi You held back thest sentence for a very long time and didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    She didn¡¯t want to inadvertently alert the enemy. She was certain that the person behind Imperial Doctor Qin was either Taizi or the Empress.

    That was because only Darong Ka knew how to give someone gu and Darong Ka belonged to Taizi¡¯s camp. But she had just observed that Taizi had stood there without doing anything. But the Empress had touched her ring.

    Could it be that that was the Devil Ring described in the books that her mother had left behind?

    It was said that the Miao shamans¡¯ ancestors had a Devil Ring. The shamans could psychicallymunicate with any gu insect. A shaman with the Devil Ring could control the gu even if the gu was someone else¡¯s.

    And if this Devil Ring was worn by someone else, this person could rub the Devil Ring and contact the faraway shaman.

    It seemed that if she didn¡¯t get rid of this Darong Ka, he would ruin her matters sooner orter.

    The Emperor was frightened and angry! He roared, ¡°The government forbids witchcraft and gu! What demon dares to openly resist the edict?!¡±

    ¡°Emperor.¡± Lin Pin immediately jumped out. ¡°How can Mu Xiaojie understand gu? She¡¯s also proficient in hypnosis. This consort thinks that hypnosis and gu are very simr. Aiya! Emperor, can Mu Xiaojie be the person who handed out the gu? This consort heard that her mother is from Nanjiang.¡±

    So it was like this. Zi You finally understood the Empress¡¯ vicious plot. So this series of ns was to take her life.

    Zi You looked at Taizi. Taizi froze and looked away. Then she looked at the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager looked calm and didn¡¯t make a sound.

    She looked at the Emperor. The Emperor¡¯s eyes stared at her, already suspicious.

    She looked at Third Wangzi. Third Wangzi wanted to say something, but Xian Fei pulled his arm. Third Wangzi immediately lowered his head with a guilty conscience.

    She looked at Second Wangzi. Second Wangzi lowered his head and thought, as if he was in a fierce struggle.

    Even the Empress looked at Zi You with her deep phoenix eyes and didn¡¯t speak.

    At this time, Shangguan LingRan suddenly picked up the medicine bowl next to the Empress Dowager¡¯s bed and threw it angrily at Lin Pin.

    Lin Pin went, ¡°Ouch.¡± She clutched her head and then looked at her hand. She saw that there was blood and immediately shouted to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, look at Shizi. He actually dares to hit this consort in front of you.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was obviously and crazily mad. He pointed to her and scolded, ¡°This Shizi is hitting you, you vicious woman. Mu Xiaojie is imperial grandmother¡¯s savior. If it isn¡¯t because of her, imperial grandmother would be dead already. You b*stard! You dare to suspect her?¡±

    ¡°She used hypnosis to help imperial uncle catch the real culprit. She caught this pce maid putting too much gypsum in the medicine. Once she came back, she made imperial grandmother well again.

    ¡°Which time was she not saving someone? Whoever dares to nder her, this Shizi will tear her into pieces.¡±

    Zi You looked at Shangguan LingRan jumping and scolding. He looked no different from a shameless rogue in a market. But, she felt that he was so handsome, as if he had descended from the heavens. At this moment, she was no longer indecisive or alone.

    In this vast sea of people, someone understood her, believed her, and was willing to risk his life to protect her.

    Zi You smiled brilliantly, like begonias in full bloom and more dazzling than the sun at noon. ¡°Emperor, everything that Chennu has learned is to save people. Chennu has never thought about harming someone. Chennu¡¯s mother knew everything that Lin Pin had said. She had the knowledge to protect our Great Yan¡¯s soldiers who were pacifying the rebellion so that they could walk through the jungles without getting hurt.

    ¡°This is the same principle as ¡®Know yourself and know your enemy and you will never be defeated.¡¯ If you don¡¯t understand the secret techniques of the Nanjiang people, then how can we protect the soldiers¡¯ safety? Mother is indeed not a pureblooded Great Yan citizen. She is a descendant of Indian nobility and a Great Yan citizen. But that does not prevent her from loving our Great Yan.

    ¡°It is because of this patriotic heart that she gave up all of a noble woman¡¯s glory and wealth to painstakingly learn medicine, suffer hardships with Great Yan¡¯s army, lead the way in the jungles, fight against all sorts of poisons to treat soldiers to ensure ourbat effectiveness, and do many things that men cannot do.

    ¡°She made so many meritorious efforts for our army to pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang. She even sacrificed her own life. But why is it that today, someone still suspects her? Why does Chennu want to follow her wishes and be a person like her, but is still suspected by our own countrymen?

    ¡°Emperor, this person is even your consort. How do you want Chennu to endure this?¡±

    Tears gathered in Zi You¡¯s eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t want any reward, but only trust. But it is so difficult. If so, then why did you permit the formation of the female medical team? The heavens are blind. Is it a crime for Mu Zi You to love my country, the army, and my family?¡±

    She asked in self-deprecation and ridicule. She sighed not sharply, not coldly, and not mercilessly. There was only infinite mncholy and unspeakable grievance and sorrow.

    What did her lowered gaze contain? Were those long eyshes stained with tears that this little woman would never show?

    Was she crying?! What did her tears mean? The tears of humiliation under her eyshes stubbornly refused to fall, but had nowhere to vent her destion?

    At this moment, the people who suspected her couldn¡¯t help but be moved by her sad and poignant appearance. Even the ridicule and disdain in their hearts wavered in the face of those suppressed tears!

    What a lofty and unyielding woman! She was indeed a woman from a military family. A soldier¡¯s strength and tenacity were shown incisively and vividly.

    At this moment, the Empress Dowager waspassionate towards Zi You. The tears that she was holding back transformed into an unyielding pride to the Empress Dowager.

    At this moment, the Emperor felt a bit guilty. This little yatou stubbornly retained a trace of dignity. She didn¡¯t beg or kneel. She stood there proudly and looked at him without any fear.

    At this moment, Second Wangzi no longer hesitated. He spoke out to firmly support her. ¡°Fuwang, if Mu Xiaojie wanted to harm someone, she could hide everything that she knew from everyone. She could do it sneakily. And who would know about it then?¡±

    At this moment, Shangguan LingRan felt like a knife was slicing his heart! He deeply sympathized with Zi You¡¯s grief and anger. So, he knelt to the Empress Dowager. He said righteously, ¡°Imperial grandmother, even your grandson knows that ¡®An ungrateful person is not a noble man.¡¯

    ¡°Mu Xiaojie just cured your illness. Do our imperial family want to be ungrateful viins? Won¡¯t we be afraid of being scolded by the people of the world......?¡±

 Chapter 186 Fighting for Her Motherâ€™s Honor, Obtaining the Empress Dowagerâ€™s Support

    <h4>Chapter 186 Fighting for Her Mother¡¯s Honor, Obtaining the Empress Dowager¡¯s Support</h4>

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi almost didn¡¯t sleep for a whole night because Zi You had stayed in the Pcest night to treat the Empress Dowager. They came to Jingyang Pce early this morning.

    Because the Emperor¡¯s consorts were in the Empress Dowager¡¯s bedroom, the two men had waited in a hall outside and didn¡¯te in. But they both heard what had happened in the bedroom.

    At this moment, the two men were also tearful. They could no longer remain calm. They suddenly rushed into the bedroom and knelt in front of the Emperor.

    Old General Mu kowtowed and said, sadly and angrily, ¡°Emperor, Chen¡¯s granddaughter could have been a noble xiaojie at home. But for the safety of the soldiers, she would rather give up herfortable lifestyle and suffer together with soldiers in the mountains. But such a loyal and patriotic child is still being suspected. Chen can¡¯t ept this.

    ¡°Please allow Chen to retire and return to Chen¡¯s hometown. Chen will bring Chen¡¯s sons and granddaughter to return to civilian life.¡±

    Mu YingYi also kowtowed and said, ¡°Emperor, Chen¡¯s family is loyal and devoted! Chen¡¯s family has never thought about betraying Emperor or the government. Chen¡¯s niece wholeheartedly wants to carry on her mother¡¯s legacy and rescue our Great Yan¡¯s soldiers out of patriotism and loyalty. But she is now ndered like this.

    ¡°Please allow Chen to resign from the post of the Commander of five cities¡¯ military forces and the Commander of the front line battalion to return with Chen¡¯s father to civilian life, Emperor.¡±

    Old General Mu and his son were so angry that they resigned.

    After hearing Second Wangzi¡¯s words, Xuanwu Emperor had calmed down. His second son was right. If Mu Zi You was really guilty, then she wouldn¡¯t overtly show off her abilities to the world.

    For example, take the matter of Imperial Doctor Qin sumbing to the gu. If she didn¡¯t say it, then no one would have found out. But she said it out loud. This proved that she wasn¡¯t guilty in her heart.

    Moreover, Mu Junyuan and Mu YingYi have not shown any disloyalty to Zhen as of now. They don¡¯t collude with other officials or wangzis. Zhen cannot make groundless usations just because Mu Zi You has some special ability like her mother. This will chill their hearts. Zhen cannot lose them now.

    Now, this is the time for Zhen to perform. Zhen cannot let the little yatou¡¯s heart be bribed by Boyu and that dandy Shangguan LingRan.

    The Emperor thought of this and immediately looked hard at Lin Pin. Although he was reluctant to give up this beautiful and charming little woman, none of that matteredpared to his country.

    As long as he was the Emperor, he could have as many beautiful women as he wanted.

    ¡°Lin Pin insulted Mu furen, who had performed meritorious service to Great Yan. She is stripped of her ¡°Pin¡± title and sent to the Cold Pce,¡± Xuanwu Emperor coldly said.

    The Empress Dowager said in dissatisfaction, ¡°Emperor, it¡¯s not enough just to dispose of someone with ulterior motives. How many soldiers¡¯ hearts will be chilled by Nee Lin¡¯s words? Why is it that someone will repeatedly insult Mu furen, who has performed meritorious service to our Great Yan?

    ¡°If Aijia is Old General Mu¡¯s family, Aijia will be sad too. If it¡¯s like this, who will devote their lives to the country and the government?¡±

    ¡°Those who perform meritorious service should be rewarded.¡± Shangguan LingRan shouted, ¡°Rewards will draw out brave men.¡±

    The Empress Dowager dotingly rubbed Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand. She smiled and said, ¡°Look. Even Ling¡¯er knows this principle.¡±

    The Emperor looked at his mother and nephew in perfect sync. He was so angry that he trembled, but a stiff smile still appeared on his face. He said to Zi You, ¡°Mu furen has done meritorious deeds for Great Yan. She is titled as first-rank Zhongguo Furen. Whoever dares to insult Zhongguo Furen will be killed without mercy.

    ¡°Mu Zi You has achieved merit for treating the Empress Dowager. She is rewarded with 1,000 silvers and is titled as a seventh-rank female medical team Commander.¡±

    In Great Yan Country, only wives of first-rank officials whose husbands had contributed greatly to the country would gain a title of something ¡°Guo Furen.¡± Most of them were just first-rank titled furens, with no designation. For example, Anguo furen was a first-rank titled furen and was usually addressed as ¡°Duke Anguo furen¡± with no other designation.

    Old General Mu¡¯s wife, Zi You¡¯s grandmother, had done great meritorious deeds for Great Yan, so she was titled ¡°Chengguo Furen.¡±

    And Mu YingRui was just a small fifth-rank official. His wife could only be a fifth-rank titled furen. But Dier had performed meritorious service to Great Yan, so the Emperor had made an exception to give Dier a titled designation to appease Zi You and Old General Mu.

    Zi You also had a rank. Although it was a very low rank, having a rank and not having a rank was iparable. Having a rank showed that she was an official part of the government.

    No one dared to insult wives and officials with titles and ranks. Otherwise, it would be a crime.

    Zi You saw that her mother would no longer be despised or insulted. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and shed tears of happiness.

    This tearful smile was like a dewy peony in full bloom. It contained national grace and divine fragrance and was extremely beautiful, making everyone¡¯s breath hitch.

    The Emperor looked at her smiling so movingly. His mood was finally a lot better. He ordered people to bring Imperial Doctor Qin out and take Lin Pin to the Cold Pce.

    Lin Pin was really stunned silly! She cried heartbreakingly and gut-wrenchingly to the Empress, ¡°Empress, save this consort! Empress, save this consort......¡±

    With this shout, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager turned their suspicious gazes on the Empress.

    The Empress¡¯ heart jumped. She looked at Lin Pin and pretended to sigh inment. ¡°Who knew who Lin Pin had listened to so that she targeted Mu Xiaojie? Emperor, me Bengong for not properly disciplining the sisters. Bengong will never let them casually suspect the officials¡¯ families without evidence. It will really chill people¡¯s hearts.¡±

    These words seemed to say that Lin Pin was wrong, but if one thought deeply, one would think that Old General Mu¡¯s merits surpassed his master¡¯s. He was just being suspected but he forced the Emperor to send his favored consort into the Cold Pce.

    She very easily transferred the Emperor¡¯s dissatisfaction back to Old General Mu and his family.

    Zi You immediately heard the meaning behind the Empress¡¯ words. She bowed to the Emperor and said, ¡°Emperor, Empress is right. Everything that the consorts in the harem say represents the imperial family. It is easy to misunderstand that they are your words, Emperor. They don¡¯t help establish Emperor¡¯s prestige, but instead destroy your prestige instead. They deserve to be punished!¡±

    Zi You¡¯s words connected some people¡¯s sinister intentions with destroying the Emperor¡¯s prestige. The Emperor remembered how his sons were eager to usurp power and his face immediately sunk.

    His focus shifted from whether Old General Mu was threatening him to the wangzis. That¡¯s right. You want to reduce Zhen¡¯s prestige to make you stand out.

    At this thought, the Emperor immediately felt ufortable. He swished his sleeves hard and reprimanded the Empress, ¡°If Empress is too busy, then hand the matters of the harem over to Liu Guifei.¡±

    The Empress was so angry that she almost fainted! Give more power to that cheap wench Liu? If she is given any more, then Bengong will just be a figurehead Empress. Bengong didn¡¯t expect that the Emperor likes Mu Zi You this much. Just a few words and he longer resents Mu Junyuan threatening him, but instead, points the spear at Bengong.

    One wrong move and she lost to this darned yatou Mu Zi You again. How annoying!

    The Empress Dowager saw that the Empress didn¡¯t posture anymore. She said, ¡°You are the Empress. You have the responsibility to restrain the consorts¡¯ every word and action. Don¡¯t think that just because you are the Emperor¡¯s woman, you can do whatever you want. Do you want to ruin the rtionship between the Emperor and his officials?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Erchen remembers Muhou¡¯s teaching.¡± The Empress was chastised by the Empress Dowager and it was in front of so many people. Her face turned even uglier.

    Zi You saw that she couldn¡¯t pretend to look virtuous and dignified anymore and was secretly refreshed.

    On the third day, the Empress Dowager¡¯s wheezing and swelling were significantly reduced. She could lie down t now and was conscious. But she still had fatigue, sweating, thirst, yellow phlegm, red tongue, and a disordered pulse. Zi You went to get twelve grams of ephedra, trichosanthes, gypsum, tinglizi and reed rhizome, pearl barley, cornus officinalis...... and decocted medicine.

    The Empress Dowager was in a good mood. Today was the day of Taizi and Liu Ruixue¡¯s wedding.

    No matter how sorry she was, she still had Zi You help Liu Ruixue put on her makeup and bring her a message. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. After marrying, find a way to quickly give birth to a son for Taizi.¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s words held a very deep meaning. Taizifei had been married to Taizi for almost four years. After giving birth to a doctor, she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant again. The Empress was anxious and Taizifei was even more anxious.

    Now, Liu Ruixue was marrying Taizi. If Liu Ruixue had a son before Taizifei did, then he would be the eldest son. As such, everything would change. When Taizi ascend the throne, with the Empress Dowager still alive, who would the position of Empress go to would be hard to say.

    Sure enough, after Zi You delivered the Empress Dowager¡¯s words, Duke Anguo furen and Liu Ruixue¡¯s expressions were a lot better.

    Zi You added a pair of very valuable gold and red hairpins.

    Liu Ruixue was very touched. She grabbed her hand and apologized to her again. ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t me me for being selfish. Actually, I really did not want you to marry Taizi not because I¡¯m afraid that you willpete with favor with me, but because I don¡¯t want you to be like me and have regrets.

    ¡°Remember: Rather be a lower-status wife than a high-status concubine. If you can find a wholehearted and loyal person like your grandfather and uncle, then it is worth it if you give everything up for him.¡±

    Zi You saw that she was sincere and forgave her. She patted her hand and said, ¡°I know. Xue jiejie needs to be careful after marrying Taizi. I heard that Taizifei isn¡¯t a simple person. I have two things for you. You cannot take even one of them off.¡±

    Liu Ruixue nodded and sighed. ¡°Which big prominent families¡¯ xiaojie is simple? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful. What do you want to give me?¡±

    Zi You took out and handed her a sachet and a piece of paper. ¡°You must wear this sachet on your person. Even if you¡¯re taking a bath, you should keep it next to you and not more than two feet away. The medicinal herbs inside can prevent poison and gu. Even if you identally ingest poison, you can take a granule out to detoxify.

    ¡°Take the medicine ording to this prescription. It will let you conceive quicker and give birth to a son. Put it away and don¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, You¡¯er!¡± Liu Ruixue was so touched that tears gathered in her eyes. ¡°I did that to youst time, but you¡¯re still helping me so much. I really don¡¯t know what to say. You¡¯er, I will remember your kindness and never forget you.¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re sisters. Don¡¯t say these polite words. They¡¯re so distant.¡±

    Zi You helped Liu Ruixue with her makeup and returned to the Pce.

    The Empress Dowager saw her return and asked in surprise, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the wedding?¡±

    Zi You pretended to shake her head in worry. She looked at Shangguan LingRan and said, ¡°Chennu came back so that Shizi Ye can go to the wedding. Chennu and Shizi Ye worry that no one is serving Empress Dowager.¡±

    ¡°Good child.¡± The Empress Dowager reached out to hold Zi You¡¯s hand. She smiled dotingly at Shangguan LingRan and said, ¡°You¡¯er is back. You can rest assured and go to your Taizi gege¡¯s wedding. Come back and tell imperial grandmother all about the wedding ceremony.¡±

    ¡°What is there to tell?¡± Shangguan LingRan pouted and acted spoiled. ¡°Imperial grandmother, your grandson also wants to get married.¡±

    While speaking, he blinked his magnificent phoenix eyes and looked at Zi You.

    Shangguan LingRan dared to tantly express his feelings for Zi You in front of the Empress Dowager because he and the Empress Dowager had reached a consensus on him marrying Zi You.

    This was what happened: After the matter with Imperial Doctor Qin was taken care of, the Emperor had wanted to punish Shangguan LingRan, but was stopped by the Empress Dowager.

    The Emperor had angrily and impolitely said to the Empress Dowager, ¡°He even dares to hit Zhen¡¯s consort. Does that mean that he will be presumptuous every time that Zhen doesn¡¯t do what he wants?¡±

    The Empress Dowager had immediately retorted, ¡°You know that he¡¯s reckless. He saw that Lin Pin insulted Aijia¡¯s savior, so of course he wasn¡¯t happy. What? Are you dissatisfied with the person who saved Aijia¡¯s life? Aijia think that Nee Lin is probably the mastermind behind Imperial Doctor Qin.¡±

    The Emperor was blocked by the Empress Dowager¡¯s words. He had to soften his tone to say, ¡°Nee Lin has been banished to the Cold Pce. Muhou......¡±

    ¡°So what if she¡¯s banished to the Cold Pce?¡± The Empress Dowager had immediately interrupted him. ¡°She has ulterior motives and wants to kill Aijia. Her whole family should be executed!¡±

    The Emperor had defended Nee Lin. ¡°When did she want to murder you, Muhou?¡±

    ¡°When did she not?¡± The Empress Dowager had righteously said, ¡°Who is Mu Zi You? She is the savior who healed Aijia¡¯s illness. Nee Lin wants to kill Aijia¡¯s savior. What if Aijia gets sick again?

    ¡°What if the other imperial doctors can¡¯t treat Aijia? Does she want Aijia to die? She is really vicious. She deserves to die! Banishment to the Cold Pce is too cheap for her!¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s words stemmed from Shangguan LingRan¡¯s analysis of the situation for her.

 Chapter 187 Sincerely Moving the Empress Dowager, Poisonous Woman is Beaten Until Crippled

    <h4>Chapter 187 Sincerely Moving the Empress Dowager, Poisonous Woman is Beaten Until Crippled</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan had repeatedly argued and finally came to a conclusion. ¡°Imperial grandmother, someone wants to kill you. Think about it. You¡¯ve been ill for so long, but did anyone make trouble with those garbage imperial doctors? No, right?

    ¡°But once Mu Xiaojie makes some progress with your illness, someone immediately targets her. Have you wondered why? It¡¯s because they don¡¯t want you to get well! It¡¯s because Mu Zi You isn¡¯t from their camp and is wholehearted in treating you. That¡¯s why they want to kill her. Once she dies, those people can continue harming you.¡±

    The Empress Dowager had thought about his analysis and really thought that it was the truth. So, she had regretted that she hadn¡¯t properly interrogated Lin Pin and had let the Emperor quickly dispose of her.

    Now that the Emperor was speaking like this, of course the Empress Dowager was displeased. It¡¯s already good that Aijia didn¡¯t execute your favored consort¡¯s whole family. But you still want to punish Aijia¡¯s precious grandson? Aijia¡¯s precious grandson sincerely treats Aijia well. Will Aijia let you punish him?

    So, that was why the Empress Dowager was filled with dissatisfaction now and was feeling more pleased towards Zi You.

    She couldn¡¯t resist against Shangguan LingRan singing Zi You¡¯s praises. ¡°Imperial grandmother, if Mu Zi You wasn¡¯t wholeheartedly focused on treating you, then she wouldn¡¯t have offended them. Imperial grandmother, your grandson likes her and wants to marry her. That way, you will have another person who sincerely respects and treats you well.¡±

    The Empress Dowager thought that it was true. If her grandson had such a capable wife, then wouldn¡¯t she be able to rx too? At least, when someone wanted to harm him, there was one more person to protect him.

    But the question was: Did Mu Zi You like her grandson? Could she sincerely like him and treat him wholeheartedly?

    The Empress Dowager tried to test Zi You again the next night. ¡°You cured Aijia. What should Aijia reward you with?¡±

    Zi You curtsied and said modestly, ¡°The best reward is Empress Dowager and Shizi Ye¡¯s trust in Chennu!¡±

    The Empress Dowager heard her mention Shangguan LingRan and immediately reluctantly shook her head. ¡°Yatou, you¡¯re engaged too soon. If you weren¡¯t engaged already, Aijia really wants to engage you to Ling¡¯er. Ling¡¯er has never truly liked a person. Did you see how he threw the medicine bowl at Lin Pin even at the risk of being punished by his imperial uncle? Aijia has never seen him care so much about a girl.¡±

    The Empress Dowager looked at Zi You to see if there were any contemptuous or shy expressions on her face.

    In the past, those were the noble xiaojies¡¯ expressions when the Empress Dowager had mentioned Shangguan LingRan getting married.

    Zi You looked touched and spoke very sincerely. ¡°Chennu is very grateful to Shizi Ye for speaking in the name of justice. But Chennu can only treat Shizi Ye as a good friend in this lifetime. Empress Dowager, if Shizi Ye needs help, Chennu would not hesitate to go through fire and water!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to marry him as Zhengfei?¡± The Empress Dowager pretended to be puzzled.

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°Empress Dowager, Chennu is already engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi. Chennu has no affinity with Shizi Ye in this lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Then what if Duke Yongnan Shizi dissolves the engagement or if he breaks the agreement with you and you dissolve the engagement?¡± The Empress Dowager looked into Zi You¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t believe that a thirteen-year-old girl wouldn¡¯t show some real intentions under her probing.

    Zi You did indeed frown, but she soon returned to her calmness. She said sincerely, ¡°Then Chennu cannot do anything ungrateful and ruin Shizi Ye¡¯s reputation. How can a woman who had her engagement dissolved marry into the imperial family? Shizi Ye is the future An Wang. Chennu cannot let him be aughingstock.

    ¡°The grace of a drop of water needs to be repaid with a spring. Not to mention, Shizi Ye stood up for Chennu at a critical moment. Chennu can never forget this debt of gratitude!¡±

    The Empress Dowager heard these words and knew that she was someone who knew how to repay debts of gratitude. She told Shangguan LingRan afterwards: ¡°Grandma asked her for you. That yatou is only grateful towards you and doesn¡¯t like you. Grandma thinks that you should give up.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan naturally wouldn¡¯t believe the Empress Dowager¡¯s words. He asked seriously, ¡°How did you ask her?¡±

    The Empress Dowager then recounted her and Zi You¡¯s conversation. Shangguan LingRan immediately said in dissatisfaction, ¡°If you ask your grandson like this, grandson will answer like that too. She is thinking for the sake of your grandson and is unwilling to marry into the Wang fu because of her identity as a woman who had an engagement dissolved. She¡¯s afraid that she will lower grandson¡¯s nobility.

    ¡°It¡¯s more obvious that her character is noble and pure. She¡¯s unlike those noble xiaojies who disdain your grandson for being an uneducated dandy, covet glory and wealth, or like grandson¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Imperial grandmother, grandson doesn¡¯t want anyone else except for her or else grandson will be a monk! If You¡¯er marries someone else or has an ident, grandson won¡¯t be able to live!¡±

    The Empress Dowager had never thought that her grandson was so deeply in love with Zi You. She knew that Shangguan LingRan was very decisive and couldn¡¯t help but worry. She patted her chest and said, ¡°But she is already engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi. What do you want grandma to do?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately asked in surprise, ¡°You mean that as long as her engagement with that Zhao HongXiang is dissolved, then you will bestow her in marriage to your grandson?¡±

    The Empress Dowager was startled. ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t be muddleheaded!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head and whispered something to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager suddenly smiled dotingly.

    She patted Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°You little imp. How can you scheme against people like that?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan smiled proudly. ¡°Imperial grandmother, wait for your grandson to bring You¡¯er here as your granddaughter-inw. Grandson promises that she will be filial towards you!¡±

    The Empress Dowager thought about it and sighed in worry. ¡°But grandma is afraid that Old General Mu will disdain you and your imperial uncle will even dread you even more. Ah...... Why are you born in the year of the dragon?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care.¡± Shangguan LingRan sprawled on the Empress Dowager¡¯s bed and acted shamelessly. ¡°Grandson wants Mu Zi You as my wife and don¡¯t want other people!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± The Empress Dowager sincerely loved her grandson. She couldn¡¯t bear him being sad and helplessly coaxed him. ¡°Let grandma think of a way.¡±

    Because Shangguan LingRan was determined to marry Zi You, the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t want to kill Zi You anymore. Her attitude was a lot better than the first day.

    And in the process of waiting on the Empress Dowager, Zi You was very respectful towards Shangguan LingRan without any trace of contempt towards him.

    Shangguan LingRan came back and described the wedding vividly to the Empress Dowager and Zi You. ¡°Duke Anguo fu provided 120 items of dowry. Taizi gege was very happy, but Taizifei¡¯s smile seemed strange. It didn¡¯t look sincere.¡±

    A sharp light shed across the Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes. She asked, ¡°Was the new bride happy?¡±

    ¡°She was okay.¡± Shangguan LingRan peeled an orange and threw a piece into his mouth. ¡°She smiled, but that smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Imperial grandmother, if it¡¯s your grandson, seeing my husband¡¯s Zhengfei put on an air of being the mistress of the household, grandson wouldn¡¯t be happy either.¡±

    The Empress Dowager sighed and didn¡¯t speak.

    At night, Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯te to find Zi You. Zi You told him, ¡°I can¡¯t always keep the Empress Dowager in a state of deep sleep. The imperial doctors areing tomorrow. They will detect it. You can¡¯t alwayse see me secretly. If someone sees us, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan thought about it and agreed. After Imperial Doctor Qin¡¯s matter, Taizi and the Empress would certainly pay more attention. He couldn¡¯t ruin their future for a moment of happiness.

    Zi You stayed in the Pce for five days. The Empress Dowager¡¯s condition waspletely stable, so she returned to the General¡¯s Manor.

    Before she left, in front of the Empress Dowager, she gave the Empress Dowager and Shangguan LingRan sachets like that one she gave to Liu Ruixue.

    The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t think that Zi You would give them sachets so openly and aboveboard in front of her. Her favorable impression of Zi You increased again.

    Zi You¡¯s blunt and aboveboard words made the Empress Dowager feel that she was a grateful and person who know how to repay debts of gratitude even more.

    ¡°Shizi Ye, thank you for your care these few days. If Zi You was disrespectful to you before, please forgive Zi You. If Shizi Ye needs anything in the future, have the Empress Dowager send a message. Zi You will do her best to aplish it.¡±

    At that moment, the Empress Dowager really thought about marrying Zi You to Shangguan LingRan. She thought that this girl had a very good character. Perhaps she could really make her grandson happy.

    Zi You returned to the fu to see Wang Yiping. Wang Yiping was locked in a small courtyard next to the ancestral hall where sacrificial supplies were piled. She looked haggard and sat in a wheelchair.

    When she saw Zi Youe over, a trace of menace shed across her drooping single-lidded phoenix eyes. She immediately pretended to ask in concern, ¡°You¡¯re back? Life in the mountains was rough, right? You¡¯ve lost weight.¡±

    It was as if nothing unpleasant had happened before. And it was as if she hadn¡¯t heard thosest sentences of Zi You¡¯s before.

    Wang Yiping could endure even more now. It seemed that those military rods had wasted her legs, but her mind became tougher.

    Zi You also pretended to ask in concern, ¡°Mother, are your legs okay? If you can walk, you should try to move around. Don¡¯t just sit in a wheelchair. Otherwise, you will be crippled.

    ¡°Just be at ease here and recite Buddhist sutras. When the Emperor isn¡¯t angry anymore, I will ask him to let you out.¡±

    Wang Yiping was so angry that she almost broke character. She gritted her teeth and endured for a very long time before smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. How can I not cherish you caring about me? I¡¯ll be fine. I still want to see you get married and have children.¡±

    The words were very gentle, but only Zi You knew that they were full of resentment and malice. She could almost hear Wang Yiping gnashing her teeth.

 Chapter 188 Spiritual Power Rebounds, Shizi is Heartbroken

    <h4>Chapter 188 Spiritual Power Rebounds, Shizi is Heartbroken</h4>

    The child in Shui YouLian¡¯s stomach was almost lost to miscarriage. Fortunately, Zi You had left her prenatal medicine. Otherwise, she certainly would have miscarried by the time the doctor arrived.

    Someone had poured a basin of water outside her door that created ayer of ice. Snow umted and Shui YouLian suddenly slipped. Although her maidservant had broken her fall, there was still some bleeding. Fortunately, Zi You had left prenatal medicine for her. She had quickly taken it and saved the baby.

    Zi You stayed in the house for a night. She then went back to the mountains with grandfather and uncle the next day. Five dayster, she received a letter from Liu Ruixue about newlywed life.

    It was really a long story! Someone actually came to provoke Liu Ruixue on her wedding night. ¡°You¡¯er, do you know? Taizi left me in the middle of the night for a small concubine. Howughable! My wedding night wasn¡¯t ruined by Taizifei, but a lowly concubine.

    ¡°She said that Taizi has only one daughter. No one else conceived over the years. This small concubine was the second person to get pregnant after Taizifei. Although she¡¯s only the daughter of a seventh-rank official, Taizi has very high expectations that she will give birth to a son.

    ¡°But she had symptoms of a miscarriage, so Taizi went over anxiously tofort her. He didn¡¯te back the whole night. You¡¯er, I almost didn¡¯t sleep all night. I really regret it! Why did I get married?

    ¡°The day before yesterday, we went to visit my family. Taizi might have been feeling guilty, so he apanied me back to Duke Anguo fu. But the Empress didn¡¯t treat me well in the Pce the next day. She overtly and covertly told me not to rely on Duke Anguo fu to embarrass Taizifei.¡±

    Zi You read the letter and didn¡¯t know how tofort her. She knew that Liu Ruixue would be caught in the endless battles between concubines once she married. And Zi You was actually correct. She didn¡¯t expect that it started on Liu Ruixue¡¯s wedding night. No. To be precise, someone had already started scheming against Liu Ruixue before she had even married.

    Great Yan¡¯s rules regarding Taizi¡¯s wives and concubines stated: One Taizifei, first-rank; two cefeis, second-rank; four liangdis, third-rank; six liangyuns, fourth-rank; ten chenghuis, fifth-rank; sixteen zhaoxuns, seventh-rank; and twenty-four fengyis, ninth-rank.

    Now, Taizi had one Zhengfei, one cefei, Minster of War¡¯s daughter as one engaged cefei, two liangdis, three liangyuns, and all of them added together were a total of twelve women. But they couldn¡¯t satisfy him and he was still messing around with Shangguan Lingluo. A man like this......

    Zi You shook her head. Even he was gifted to her, she didn¡¯t want him.

    Zi You sent a letter back to Liu Ruixue with three very important sentences on it: ¡°Keep calm! Don¡¯t lose your heart! Find a way to be invincible!¡±

    Military training continued as usual. When it was the spring flooding season, rain poured down on the mountain and the weather was more and more simr to Nanjiang¡¯s.

    Rain poured through the forest. Climbing and fighting on mountains were two of the topics of military training. The muddy mountain paths and skyrocketed amounts of sh floods increased the wounded amongst the soldiers

    At this time, almost everyone could feel the usefulness of the female medical team. The soldiers also respected the female medical team more and more.

    On the night of April 27, heavy rain continued for more than six hours. A mudslide urred on Mount Yunmeng and trapped more than 4,000 troops on a hillside.

    Mu YingYi took 2,000 soldiers to rescue them. Zi You was worried and wanted to follow along. She was stopped by Old General Mu and Mu YingYi. ¡°No. You¡¯er, it¡¯s too dangerous there. The rocks on the mountain can roll down at any time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m going.¡± Zi You said anxiously, ¡°If they¡¯re injured, they can get timely treatment when I¡¯m there. I am the Commander of the female medical team. I have to be there if soldiers are injured.¡±

    Rong Yunhe heard this and immediately said, ¡°Commander, this subordinate will go with General Mu to rescue them.¡±

    Zi You firmly said, ¡°I vowed that I will help my mother protect grandfather and uncle. Now that uncle is personally going into danger, I have to follow along.

    ¡°Grandfather, uncle, hurry up. Time waits for no one. The longer it¡¯s dragged on, the more dangerous it is for the soldiers.¡±

    Old General Mu looked at his son and granddaughter and anxiously said, ¡°Pay attention to safety. Listen. You have toe back here in one piece!¡±

    ¡°Yes, father (grandfather).¡± The two bowed and led 2,000 people to the ce where the soldiers were trapped.

    When they arrived, most of the people had extricated themselves. 563 people didn¡¯t have time to extricate themselves.

    Amongst the people who escaped, thirteen of them were injured. Four were seriously injured. Two had broken legs. One was hit by a boulder in the chest that caused internal bleeding. And one person had a brain injury.

    At this time, thunder roared. Rain poured and one could clearly feel pain when itnded on one¡¯s face.

    Zi You was about to crouch down to treat the soldier with the chest injury. Just then, another sh flood copsed another part of mountain. Water rushed overwhelmingly towards the more than 500 soldiers who didn¡¯t have time to extricate themselves from the hillside. The soldiers and Mu YingYi, who was directing the rescue, were about to be engulfed by the water.

    Zi You didn¡¯t have time to think. She jumped up on the hillside and pushed out with both hands towards the water. The spiritual power in her whole body rushed out. A purple circle soon appeared from Zi You¡¯s palms and becamerger. It flew past the surging water.

    After an earth-shattering impact, the surging flood water instantly changed directions.

    Ferocious wind blew her conical bamboo hat off. Everyone could see that her eyes werepletely light purple. Those crystal clear and magnificent light purple eyes radiated a purple light. Even her body emitted ayer of light purple light.

    She stood proudly in the rain. The rain and water avoided her. Through the curtain of water, people could see a girl wearing a military uniform shrouded in a purple light. She was as beautiful as the Moon Pce¡¯s Chang¡¯e!

    On the other side, Shangguan LingRan had been feeling uneasy since the heavy rain started. He had a flustered feeling that he had never had before.

    When the heavy rain had been pouring for thirty minutes, he couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He put his clothing on and immediately rushed out into the rain regardless of his martial nephews trying to stop him.

    He jumped on his horse and rode madly towards Mount Yunmeng. He had lived fourteen years on Mount Emei. He knew very clearly what sort of danger this much rain would cause.

    Zi You was there. She could encounterndslides and mudslides. He had to personally go see if the little yatou was okay. Otherwise, he would be tormented until he was insane!

    He used his qinggong regardless of anything. He arrived at the mountain and found Old General Mu.

    But he was told that Zi You had gone with Mu YingYi to rescue people.

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t dy for even a moment. With Lightning and Feiyun leading the way, he rushed to the hillside just in time to see Zi You using her spiritual power to save everyone.

    Zi You risked the dangers of her spiritual power rebounding, exposing the fact that she had spiritual power, her maternal family forcing her to go back with them, and the dangers of the imperial family to save more than 500 soldiers.

    However, she fell down weakly when the light purple light gradually dissipated from her body.

    ¡°YouYou!¡± Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes cracked. He didn¡¯t care about the presence of more than 4,000 soldiers there. He leaped down to pick up Zi You. His ctions were even faster than Mu YingYi.

    Zi You saw that it was Shangguan LingRan and smiled sweetly. Then she slowly closed her eyes.

    Her spiritual power rebounded and caused internal injuries. Zi You was seriously injured by the rebound of her spiritual power.

    Shangguan LingRan carried her into Old General Mu¡¯s tent. She had woken up once, but this was herst sh of lucidity.

    She looked at her grandfather and uncle and cried guiltily. ¡°Sorry, grandfather and uncle! You¡¯er can¡¯t...... can¡¯t protect you anymore. When you go pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang, you...... you have to bring...... anti-gu and anti-miasma medicines. Check carefully and don¡¯t let...... let anyone y tricks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er......¡± Old General Mu¡¯s tears overflowed. He held his granddaughter¡¯s hand and desperately shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t leave grandfather! Don¡¯t......¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er, You¡¯er, it¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s my fault. I couldn¡¯t protect you......¡± Mu YingYi couldn¡¯t help but cry.

    This was the only flesh and blood left by Dier. Were the heavens so cruel as to take her away from him?

    Shangguan LingRan was dazed! He didn¡¯t believe that YouYou would really die.

    He didn¡¯t believe it! She was so beautiful. She was only thirteen years old. She had just turned thirteen on March 23.

    He really regretted it! After they pledged their love, he actually didn¡¯te celebrate her birthday together and had only sent a gift.

    He regretted more that he didn¡¯t practice Xuantian Jue to the tenth stage. Then he could have predicted today¡¯s disaster and not let YouYou put herself in danger.

    Shangguan LingRan madly pushed Mu YingYi and Old General Mu away. He shouted hoarsely, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t cry! YouYou won¡¯t die. She won¡¯t die!¡±

    He then grabbed Zi You from Old General Mu¡¯s arms. He wanted to use his internal energy to heal her. ¡°Darned yatou, I forbid you to leave me! I forbid it! If you dare to leave me, I will find you even at the ends of the earth. Now, cooperate with me so I can heal you. You¡¯re not allowed to give up.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking before he ced his palms against Zi You¡¯s back so that he could use his internal energy to heal her. But Zi You weakly stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s useless, Shangguan LingRan. My arteries...... are shattered.¡±

    She pulled out the dagger that Old General Mu had given her with difficulty and put it in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s arms. ¡°Shangguan LingRan, thank you. Thank you for letting me see you one more time before I leave. Thank you for letting me leave without any regrets. Please, please protect my grandfather and uncle. I...... I like......¡±

    Before she finished speaking, she fell into Shangguan LingRan¡¯s arms. She had a slight smile as tears flowed down. She slowly closed her eyes.

    ¡°No!¡± Shangguan LingRan shouted heartbreakingly and gut-wrenchingly. He held her as tears spilled out. ¡°No! No! YouYou!¡±

    Soldiers stood outside the tent. They stood in the rain and prayed for Zi You. When Zi You copsed, they all understood what happened. Their little fairy used her spiritual power to save them, but she was seriously injured when her spiritual power rebounded, which led to her copse.

    At this moment, the rain gradually stopped. But they heard Shangguan LingRan¡¯s earth-shattering and desperate cry. At this moment, all the soldiers, including the female medical team, shed tears.

    Rong Yunhe punched stones until his blood dyed the stones red.

    Wei Mingchao, who had a contest of swords with Zi You, shook his head and tearfully asked the third-rank General Xue Ziwei, ¡°General Xue, she¡¯s a real fairy, right? Is she going back to the heavens now?¡±

    Shiyun and Moyun who apanied Zi You into the mountains cried until they almost fainted.

    The storm subsided. A rainbow appeared in the sky that reflected the mountains and showed a magnificent scenery. Birds chirped and circled over Old General Mu¡¯s tent with Lightning and Feiyun and didn¡¯t want to leave.

    Shangguan LingRan held Zi You and cried until he spat out a mouthful of blood. Then he copsed and scared the six martial nephews who had followed him here. Old General Mu¡¯s impression of him turned more favorable.

    Old General Mu¡¯s heart hurt like a knife was slicing it. But he restrained his grief and took out the sachet that Zi You had given him. He took out a life-saving pill and stuffed it into Shangguan LingRan¡¯s mouth. At this moment, he knew that the feelings An Wang Shizi had towards his granddaughter were true and sincere.

    He thought that if his granddaughter was still alive, she would really be happy if she married him. But this day was never going to happen.

    He fought back his sadness and pain and wanted to separate Shangguan LingRan and Zi You¡¯s sped hands. But he discovered that they held hands very tightly and couldn¡¯t be separated no matter what.

    Old General Mu couldn¡¯t help but shed tears. He helplessly said to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s martial nephews, ¡°Can two of you bring a letter to the Prime Minister?¡±

    ¡°No problem. Please write it. This junior will immediately send it.¡± Sixth martial nephew immediately agreed.

    Old General Mu cried as he wrote about Shangguan LingRan¡¯s current situation to the Prime Minister. He told him to quicklye up the mountains and find a way tofort Shangguan LingRan. Otherwise, Shangguan LingRan would certainly be seriously ill because of his immense grief.

    After he finished, he said to the crying Mu YingYi, ¡°Tell the soldiers to go back and rest. Keep what happened today a secret. Whoever leaks a word out will be punished with martialw.¡±

    Mu YingYi wiped his tears and shook his head. ¡°Father, I fear that it¡¯s impossible to hide it. 4,000 people. If just one identally leaks the information about An Wang Shizi and You¡¯er......¡±

 Chapter 189 Her Mother Takes Zi You to the God Realm

    <h4>Chapter 189 Her Mother Takes Zi You to the God Realm</h4>

    Old General Mu was worried. His son was right. There were so many people there. If just one person identally leaked out today¡¯s events, it would bring Shangguan LingRan endless disaster and ruin his granddaughter¡¯s reputation. To hide it, they could only take the worry-free pills that his granddaughter had made. But where was he going to get so many?

    Old General Mu helplessly waved his hand. He said to Mu YingYi, ¡°Have the soldiers rest first. I¡¯ll discuss it with the Prime Minister when he gets here.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s life-saving pill, Nine Soul Pill, was very effective. Shangguan LingRan woke up an hourter. Although he didn¡¯t cry anymore, the situation was more worrying than him crying. He mumbled to himself as he hugged Zi You and wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch her.

    When Old General Mu tried to take Zi You away, he became crazy and wouldn¡¯t allow it. Time passed like this until Wu Shi [7 ¨C 9 p.m.]. Shangguan LingRan still held Zi You. Zi You seemed to be quietly asleep. Her pretty pink face seemed to have a smile on it.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi sat on chairs with their heads bent. Immense grief had worn down the father and son. The Prime Minister still hadn¡¯te. They were waiting for him.

    At this moment, the tent p rose. They thought that it was the Prime Minister. They looked up and were stunned.

    It was two women. They were dressed in Indian saris and as beautiful as fairies, especially the one in front.

    ¡°Dier!¡± Mu YingYi finally shouted in surprise after his shock.

    Shangguan LingRan heard him call out ¡°Dier¡± and lifted his head. He saw a woman about twenty years old who wore an ice-blue silver sari with embroidered snowkes and iid with diamonds. Other than her skin color being different, her temperament and appearance were almost the same as Zi You¡¯s.

    There was also a woman about twenty-four or twenty-five years old who wore a white sari behind the woman who looked like Zi You.

    A trace of excitement shed across Dier¡¯s eyes when she looked at Old General Mu and Mu YingYi. But she soon regained her calmness. She deeply curtsied and said, ¡°Paying respects to Old General and Young General. How are you, Old General and Young General?¡±

    She really was Zi You¡¯s mother, Dier. Shangguan LingRan was shocked. Didn¡¯t they say that YouYou¡¯s mother was dead? But she was still alive? What was going on?

    He was pondering and then heard Mu YingYi said excitedly, ¡°Dier, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. Hurry and save You¡¯er. She used her spiritual power to save people, but she¡¯s seriously injured and shattered her arteries.¡±

    ¡°Ai. This silly child.¡± Dier looked at Zi You with a loving gaze. She was about to go over, but the woman behind her reached out to stop her and said something that they couldn¡¯t understand.

    Although Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t understand, he could tell from her expression and actions that she was stopping Dier from saving Zi You.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi more or less could understand some Indian words because of their previous interactions with Dier. Once they heard this woman didn¡¯t let Dier save Zi You, they immediately wanted to take action.

    Shangguan LingRan immediately asked, ¡°Grandfather, is she stopping Aunt [polite address] from saving Zi You?¡±

    He didn¡¯t wait for Old General Mu and Mu YingYi to reply and ran over to ask the woman. ¡°What right do you have to stop a mother from saving her daughter?¡±

    The white-clothed woman looked at Shangguan LingRan, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi with an arrogant expression. In broken Chinese, she said, ¡°We can save her, but she must return to our Indian God Realm with us. How can the descendant of Goddess Mari live in a foreignnd? Goddess Mari said if Mu Zi You doesn¡¯t return to our God Realm, we are not allowed to save her.¡±

    ¡°What kind of bullsh*t goddess is Goddess Mari? What kind of cold-blooded monster is she?¡± Shangguan LingRan angrily scolded. ¡°She wants a mother to watch her daughter die and won¡¯t let her save her. Is she still a goddess? She¡¯s a monster.¡±

    ¡°You cannot nder and insult our esteemed goddess.¡± The white-clothed woman was obviously very angry. She reached out to p Shangguan LingRan, but was stopped by Dier.

    Dier looked coldly at the white-clothed woman. She said with authority, ¡°Vaninaya, you are just a guardian. Please don¡¯t abuse your authority. You have no right to interfere with what I do!¡±

    Vaninaya looked unreconciled at Dier. After a while, she bowed her head under Dier¡¯s pressure. She sped her hands together and said, ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t dare. But when this subordinate came, this subordinate really received Goddess Mari orders. She wants this subordinate to urge you to bring your daughter back to the God Realm.¡±

    Dier didn¡¯t say anything. She had calcted that Zi You would be in danger. When she came here, her maternal grandmother had said the same thing to her. ¡°Bring your daughter back. My, Mari¡¯s, descendants absolutely cannot stay in the mortal world. You have the courage to give birth to a goddess, so you should bring her back.

    ¡°But you put a seal on her and let her stay in Great Yan. As a result, she suffered for a lifetime. If I didn¡¯t let her be reborn, she would have fallen into the reincarnation cycle already.¡±

    Dier knew her grandmother¡¯s ability. She was still not her opponent. If she really wanted to continue leaving You¡¯er in Great Yan, she woulde sooner orter to bring You¡¯er back and You¡¯er might get injured.

    Dier said with difficulty to Old General Mu and Mu YingYi, ¡°I have to take You¡¯er back to India with me. Even if I save her, she will be a waste here.¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s tiger body shook. He almost copsed. Fortunately, Shangguan LingRan supported him.

    Mu YingYi¡¯s eyes reddened. He asked sadly, ¡°Do you have to take You¡¯er away from us? I don¡¯t believe that you can¡¯t save her. I was dead back then, but you still......¡±

    ¡°She is different from you. Her arteries are shattered.¡± Mu YingYi hadn¡¯t finished speaking before Dier interrupted him.

    Shangguan LingRan rushed to kneel down in front of Dier. He cried out and begged, ¡°Please! Aunt, please save You¡¯er. I...... We cannot live without her!¡±

    Dier looked at the handsome and outstanding young man in front of her. She shook her head regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I can¡¯t leave her here or it will bring all of you a cmity. If you really want her back, go find her in India.¡±

    Then she told Vaninaya, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Old General Mu knew that he couldn¡¯t make his granddaughter stay. He couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears.

    He reached his hand out and touched Zi You¡¯s face and head for a long time. Then he rubbed his eyes and said to Dier, ¡°I ask you for one thing. Let the 4,000 soldiers forget what happened today. I don¡¯t want You¡¯er to be......¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Dier seemed to clearly understand what Old General Mu was trying to say. She slightly smiled and replied, ¡°Please rest assured, Old General. They won¡¯t remember what happened today.¡±

    ¡°Aunt.¡± Shangguan LingRan firmly blocked Dier and enunciated, ¡°Please tell the soldiers that YouYou isn¡¯t dead. She is injured and taken by an expert to be treated. One day, I will go to your India and bring her back!¡±

    At this time, Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t have the slightest dandyish air at all. His attitude revealed a sharpness. The moonlight held a touch of silver and sprinkled on that touch of ocean blue (Shangguan LingRan was wearing an ocean blue brocade robe.). One looking at this figure from far away would feel that he was infinitely graceful, outstanding, and unparalleled.

    He knew that with his current ability, he couldn¡¯t stop Vaninaya or Dier. When Vaninaya wanted to strike him earlier, he had no ability to resist.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Dier, he would certainly have been humiliated. Moreover, if he didn¡¯t let them take YouYou away, YouYou would certainly die. But if they took YouYou away, there would be hope. He knew that Dier was a goddess and could certainly save YouYou.

    As long as YouYou was alive, he would certainly try his best to bring her back. Moreover, Dier¡¯s words contained a hidden meaning. She had clearly told him that he must go to India to get YouYou back.

    Then, let¡¯s not mention India. He would charge in even if it was the heavens, hell, mountains of knives, or oceans of fire.

    So, they couldn¡¯t announce to the world that YouYou was dead. They had to maintain that she was alive. He swore that he would bring YouYou back one day.

    ¡°Good. I will wait for you. You¡¯er indeed didn¡¯t choose wrong. I hope that you will keep your promise.¡± Dier looked at Shangguan LingRan and revealed a gratified smile.

    Her daughter had good vision this time. This young man was much better than that b*stard Zhao HongXiang.

    Since Dier hade inside, Mu YingYi¡¯s eyes had been on her. He saw her look mildly at him and didn¡¯t look at him again. His heart couldn¡¯t help but pain.

    He wanted to say something, but he thought that he had ultimately let her down and so, he guiltily closed his mouth.

    Dier turned around and handed Mu YingYi a sachet. ¡°Young General, there are life-saving pills inside. Keep it around you and Old General.¡±

    She slightly curtsied and picked up Zi You. Then she turned to walk out.

    Shiyun and Moyun quickly knelt. They sobbed, ¡°Furen, can you take Nubi with you?¡±

    Dier shook her head. ¡°If youe, you will be killed.¡±

    Shiyun cried out. She pointed to the five constantly swaying ck mandara flowers. ¡°Please bring these flowers then, Furen. They won¡¯t survive without Xiaojie. Besides, Xiaojie cannot be without them.¡±

    Dier looked at the ck mandara flowers and knew that they were spirit flowers that her daughter had carefully raised.

    So, she waved her hand and turned the five ck mandara flowers into spirits and gathered them in her arms.

    She walked outside and stretched out her left hand. She pushed forward and an ice blue circle of light expanded. It gave off a dazzling blue light and spread throughout the mountains.

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi saw this and realized that Dier¡¯s spiritual power was much stronger than before.

 Chapter 190.1 - Common Goal, Bitterly Practicing Part 1/8

    <strong>Chapter 190 Common Goal, Bitterly Practicing Part 1/8</strong>

    Her body was shrouded in the blue light. They were thirty meters away from her and could feel the strong air flow surging around them.

    After fifteen minutes, Dier waved her hand and her spiritual power gradually dissipated. She curtsied again to Old General Mu and Mu YingYi. Then she and Vaninaya slowly rose into the air, along with the spirit pets, including Feiyun. Soon, they all disappeared without a trace.

    Shangguan LingRan looked at them and the spirit pets disappear in the air. He secretly gritted his teeth and vowed, ¡°I must practice Xuantian Jue to the tenth stage. Then I can fly and go to India to bring YouYou back!¡±

    Old General Mu and Mu looked at the distant Zi You and couldn¡¯t help but cry tearfully. They didn¡¯t know when they would see her again. Perhaps, they would never meet again.

    At this thought, Old General Mu¡¯s heart pained and he staggered.

    ¡°Father (grandfather)!¡± Shangguan LingRan and Mu YingYi shouted and went over to support him.

    After carrying him into the tent, Mu YingYi quickly took out a life-saving pill and stuffed it into Old General Mu¡¯s mouth. The two people deeply sympathized with Old General Mu¡¯s feelings. He didn¡¯t know whether he could see his precious granddaughter, whom he raised as a pearl in his palm, again. How could he not be sad?

    Shangguan LingRan saw this and thought of the task that Zi You had entrusted to him. He forcefully fought back his grief andforted Old General Mu. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, grandfather. I swear to you that I will bring YouYou back.¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s expression was ashen. He nodded and closed his eyes weakly.

    ¡°Ling¡¯er. My good grandson!¡± After an unknown amount of timeter, sixth martial nephew and the old Prime Minister, Shangguan LingRan¡¯s maternal grandfather, the Left Prime Minister, opened the tent p and rushed in.

    He saw Shangguan LingRan sitting next to the bed with a lowered head. Old General Mu was lying in bed with a face full of grief. The Left Prime Minister immediately went over and looked his grandson up and down in concern. Then he looked at Old General Mu and asked, ¡°What is going on? Did you faint or did Old General Mu faint?¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s letter only said, ¡°Something happened to You¡¯er. Shizi fainted from excessive grief.¡±

    He had received the letter and quickly asked sixth martial nephew. Sixth martial nephew had exaggerated, ¡°Mu Xiaojie is dead. Little Shishu spat out blood and wants to follow Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    Oh, no! The heavens knew how much expectations he had for this grandson. Nothing could happen to him!

    Thus, he had rushed into the mountains in time to see the mountains shrouded in a blue light. The light was very strange. The strong air flow shook his eardrums and his head was in pain. He then suddenly fainted.

    When he had woken up, he discovered himself lying on sixth martial nephew¡¯s back and was being carried up the mountain.

    Shangguan LingRan frowned and told him what had happened. Only, he substituted Dier for a passing master.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust his grandfather, but it was better if one less person knew about Dier. Otherwise, if it spread to the Emperor, it would be disastrous for the General¡¯s Manor. It would be a crime of deceiving the monarch!

    Prime Minister Yang quicklyforted Old General Mu. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad, Old General Mu. This old man believes that the heavens will help Mu Xiaojie. She will return after recovering.¡±

    Old General Mu said sadly, ¡°Thank you, Prime Minister. I have something to discuss with you.¡±

    ¡°Please say it!¡± Prime Minister Yang clearly respected Old General Mu. He spoke very politely.

    Old General Mu looked at Shangguan LingRan and said, very touched, ¡°I really didn¡¯t think that Shizi Ye is such a devoted and righteous person. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have engaged You¡¯er to Duke Yongnan Shizi no matter what. But the mistake has already been made.

    ¡°The key point is that Shizi Ye has exposed the fact that he knows martial arts today. I have hidden this from the soldiers, but we need to have the same story. We can¡¯t let the facts that he knows martial arts and his rtionship with You¡¯er be exposed to anyone.

    ¡°When You¡¯eres back, we will slowly make ns to fulfill their love.¡±

    Old General Mu thought that Prime Minister Yang would be surprised after hearing about Shangguan LingRan and Zi You¡¯s rtionship. But he was surprised that Prime Minister Yang nodded and replied clearly, ¡°This old man already knew his intentions. This is also this old man and Wangfei¡¯s intentions. Originally, this old man was worried that you would have concerns. This old man didn¡¯t expect that you don¡¯t disdain Shizi.¡±

    Old General Mu immediately shook his head. ¡°I know Shizi¡¯s difficulties. Let¡¯s not mention that he¡¯s not a real dandy. Even if he is, we won¡¯t make things difficult as long as You¡¯er likes him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, grandfather!¡± Shangguan LingRan spoke excitedly. Then he firmly said to Prime Minister Yang, ¡°Grandfather, think of a way to find a substitute to stay in the capital for me. I have to return to Emei and learn Xuantian Jue to the tenth stage. I have to find YouYou and bring her back.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will think of a way.¡± Prime Minister Yang nodded. He didn¡¯t dare to refuse. His grandson was deeply in love. Other than Mu Zi You, he probably wouldn¡¯t ept anyone else. Thus, he could only fulfill his wishes.

    Moreover, he was very satisfied with everything that Zi You had done. As An Wang Shizifei, it wasn¡¯t enough just to be beautiful and kind. She needed to be intelligent and have her own abilities.

    The next day, Old General Mu wrote a letter to Xuanwu Emperor. The letter said: ¡°There was heavy rain yesterday. The army in the mountains sufferedndslides and mudslides. Chen¡¯s granddaughter is seriously injured and unconscious from trying to rescue soldiers from being washed away by the mudslides.

    ¡°Chen was worried and at a loss. Fortunately, a passing master took her away to be treated. However, the passing master cannot guarantee whether Chen¡¯s granddaughter willpletely heal. So, whether Emperor¡¯s conferred Commander of the female medical team Mu Zi You can return is an unknown. Please appoint another female medical teammander to rece Chen¡¯s granddaughter.

    ¡°Also, there are casualties amongst the soldiers. Chen is unwell due to excessive grief. Please allow Chen to take the soldiers down the mountain to recuperate, Emperor.

    ¡°Please forgive Chen for not telling you and handed Chen¡¯s granddaughter to the passing master. But Chen¡¯s granddaughter was in a critical situation and it couldn¡¯t be dyed. Please forgive Chen¡¯s disrespect on ount of the situation being urgent, Emperor!¡±

    The Emperor was just worrying if yesterday¡¯s storm had any impact on the soldiers when he received Old General Mu¡¯s letter.

    At that time, the Emperor had a strange feeling in his heart. It pained like it never had before. Then he felt stifled.

    He immediately agreed to Old General Mu¡¯s request and expressed his condolences.

    Thus, Old General Mu returned with the army back to the capital three days after the storm.

    It was still Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi who brought officials to meet them. However, the atmosphere this time waspletely different from the send-off. The soldiers were all listless.

    Apparently everyone was affected by the ruthless reality. Their little fairy, Old General Mu¡¯s granddaughter Mu Xiaojie, had been seriously injured and unconscious due to rescuing soldiers who were being washed away by the mudslides. She had been taken away by a passing master. It was unknown whether she would be saved or coulde back to train with them.

    That clever and pretty female medical teammander, who wasn¡¯t afraid of suffering or exhaustion and didn¡¯t disdain their sweaty selves, had disappeared.

    Taizi had felt bad in the beginning, but he soon let it go. Even if she was alive, Muhou firmly refused to let him marry her. If he had to just look, but couldn¡¯t eat her, then it was better that he never saw her again.

    Third Wangzi was also sad for a day after he received the news. But he soonforted himself: This is good. No one can obtain her then.

    Second Wangzi was clearly sadder than his brothers. After learning of Zi You¡¯s ident, he had cried and immediately went with De Fei to pray.

    When he couldn¡¯t see that slender and straight figure in the army, his tears couldn¡¯t help but surge again.

    Zhao HongXiang shed a few crocodile tears, but he wasn¡¯t sad at all. The thing that bothered him the most was where was he going to find Xiaoyao Powder now? If he knew that she was going to die so early, he would have had her make more Xiaoyao Powder for him.

    Mu YingRui also shed a few crocodile tears, but he was soon relieved, as if a major source of trouble was removed. Without the darned ruthless yatou, his days would go smoothly.

    However, when Old General Mu returned to the fu, he pretended to be stricken with grief and desperately squeezed out some tears. He asked, ¡°What happened? How did she get hurt? Why didn¡¯t her mother¡¯s spirit protect her?¡±

    He thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t her mother¡¯s spirit punish me and Ping¡¯er for her? Then why didn¡¯t she protect her? She wanted to take her away, right? Then take her away! That way she won¡¯t oppose me all the time.¡¯

    He finished speaking and Old General Mu pped him. Old General Mu¡¯s tiger eyes seemed to have seen through his thoughts. He was so angry that he hated that he couldn¡¯t kick him to death.

    Wang Yiping also received the news that Zi You was seriously injured and unconscious and was taken away by a passing master. She cried whileughing in her heart. ¡®Great! The heavens have eyes. She¡¯s finally taken away. It¡¯s best if she neveres back. Hahaha...... Today is the happiest day in my life!¡¯

    Yu Lanxuanughed madly in her boudoir. Afterwards, she changed into red clothing and said to her confidant maidservant Cui¡¯er, ¡°Send a letter to Shizi Ye. His fianc¨¦e is dead. I have tofort him. I¡¯ll meet him in Tiaifu Restaurant.¡±

    At this time, Shangguan LingRan was burrowed in the Empress Dowager¡¯s arms and silently crying. It was the first time that the Empress Dowager had seen him cry so helplessly and sorrowfully. Even when his father An Wang had locked him up for three days and nights because of his brother Shangguan Liran, he was more angry than sad. He hadn¡¯t even shed a tear.

    But he was really crying this time. The Empress Dowager could feel her grandson¡¯s tears soaking into her clothing and his body trembling.

    The Empress Dowager couldn¡¯t help but worry. She went to the temple and prayed for Zi You for a while. But it was really for her grandson. She was really afraid that her grandson would be hurt by love and be a monk.

    After Zi You left, Old General Mu became ill. Although Mu YingYi did not copse, it was clear that he was suppressing his grief. He lost a lot of weight.

    Nee Liu was already sad. And now she saw her father-inw and husband like this, so her whole person was on the verge of copse. Wang Yiping was so happy that she almost jumped for joy.

 Chapter 190.2 - Common Goal, Bitterly Practicing Part 2/8

    <h4><strong>Chapter 190 Common Goal, Bitterly Practicing Part 2/8</strong></h4>

    At this time, Zi You was locked up by Goddess Mari in the darkest and most dangerous ce in the God Realm: ckwater Pool. ckwater Pool was a deep valley and the confinement ce to punish disciples.

    As the name suggested, the water in the pool was ck, cold, and chilling. There were all kinds of poisonous snakes, lizards, and insects there. It was bottomless and not many people coulde out.

    Zi You was saved by her mother. She opened her eyes and saw her mother and grandmother, whom she had never seen before. She was very happy. But after ten days or so, she said to Dier, ¡°Mother, I want to go back to Great Yan. I can¡¯t stay here. I¡¯m worried about grandfather and uncle. You also know that in the previous life, they both died in the Nanjiang rebellion two yearster. I¡¯m afraid that someone wants to harm them. I want to go back to protect them.¡±

    Dier nodded. ¡°Yes. Your grandfather and uncle did not die because of the miasma, but because of gu.¡±

    Zi You was even more anxious. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I can¡¯t stay here. I have to go back.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Goddess Mari immediately came in and interrupted her. ¡°You are my descendant. How can you stay in the mortal world? And a foreign mortal world at that? What is worth remembering about those heathens?¡±

    Zi You was angry. She didn¡¯t even call her ¡°great-grandmother¡± and directly said, ¡°Goddess Mari, those heathens are my family.¡±

    ¡°We are your family.¡± Goddess Mari coldly interrupted Zi You.

    Zi You sneered and scoffed. ¡°Really? Are there rtives who won¡¯t allow mother to save me in order to force me toe to the God Realm? I can¡¯t afford to have rtives like you!¡±

    ¡°Impudent!¡± Goddess Mari was evidently angered by Zi You. Her cold face and beautiful face, which usually joy nor anger could be seen on it, finally looked angry. ¡°I¡¯m not only your grandmother, but I am the Goddess of Flowers and Rain. I am worshipped by people year-round. How dare you talk to me like that?¡±

    Zi You was even angrier. ¡°So what? Even if you¡¯re superior, you have no love in your heart, so it¡¯s all in vain!¡±

    ¡°No love in my heart?¡± Goddess Mari was angry at Zi You¡¯s words and sneered. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going to lock you up in ckwater Pool. I want to see if you have any love in your heart then.¡±

    ¡°You cannot.¡± Dier and Zi You¡¯s grandmother Namisha both begged, ¡°Grandmother, You¡¯er was just injured. Her spiritual power hasn¡¯t recovered yet. She won¡¯t be able to withstand it there.¡±

    ¡°Mother, she¡¯s just a child. Forgive her rudeness. I will slowly teach her.¡±

    ¡°Grandmother, mother, don¡¯t beg her!¡± Zi You became stubborn. She firmly and categorically said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just ckwater Pool? I want to see if it will make me give in.¡±

    Countless disciples had died in ckwater Pool. On the first day there, Zi You, Feiyun, and Weishali killed a poisonous snake as thick as a child¡¯s waist and arge seven-foot lizard.

    The pool water was colder than ice. The shallowest ce was higher than her head. The deepest ce was two meters deep. There were crocodiles, countless leeches, poisonous frogs, piranhas, and countless skeletons.

    Zi You persevered and practiced the spiritual techniques that Dier gave her, day after day and year after year.

    Summer turned to winter. There seemed to be no end. Whenever she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and was ready to give up, she thought of her rtives and Shangguan LingRan.

    Her mother had told her about what Shangguan LingRan did that day. Once she thought that her rtives were waiting for her to return and that Shangguan LingRan might be practicing hard to pick her up, she had no more reason to give up.

    And she was right. Shangguan LingRan was bitterly practicing like she was.

    Because it was urgent, he didn¡¯t have time to find a man simr to him in height and weight. Someone disguising as him might not be able to pass for him. Finally, one of his secret guards, his eleventh martial nephew Yi He disguised as him and stayed in the capital.

    For Yi He not to be recognized by the Empress Dowager, who was very familiar with Shangguan LingRan, he could only be ¡°seriously ill¡± for a long time. Afterwards, his temperament changed and he was stranger, more elusive, and more devilishly charming.

    And almost all of Shangguan LingRan¡¯s time on Mount Emei, regardless of cold or hot weather, was spent on practicing.

    Winter snow turned into summer heat. Like Zi You, he had the same faith and painstakingly practiced.

    Two long years passed. Shangguan LingRan finally mastered above than the ninth stage of Xuantian Jue.

    Now, in the whole Xuanyuan Sect, other than his Shifu and his 402-year-old second martial brother who became a living immortal, there were only his fifth and ninth martial brothers who had mastered above the ninth stage.

    It could be seen how hard the road to bing an immortal was! Shangguan LingRan¡¯s Shifu¡¯s time spent on practicing was longer than the sect had been established.

    And at Shangguan LingRan¡¯s age, him mastering the ninth stage was due to his superhuman perseverance and extraordinary talent.

    So, he prepared to say goodbye to his Shifu and go to India.

    His Shifu, Daoist Priest Xuanyuan, sent his second martial brother with him. He told him countless times: ¡°Don¡¯t get into a conflict with that Goddess Mari. She is a Goddess. She must have some ability. You are not going topete with her, but to bring your wife back.¡±

    While Shangguan LingRan and his second martial brother Aochen were traveling, it was the time that Zi You¡¯s spiritual power broke through her bottleneck and reached its strongest point. Now, there was nothing in ckwater Pool that could hurt her.

    It was unlike when she had first arrived here. She had been bruised and injured all over. The more she bled, the more she attracted a variety of poisonous insects to bite her. Fortunately she had spiritual power. She could quickly heal her wounds. Gradually, those animals didn¡¯t dare to approach her anymore. They went from biting and eating her flesh to being eaten by her.

    For two years, she had eaten crocodiles, snakes, lizards, piranhas, and poisonous frogs in ckwater Pool. But she had sacrificed five spirit mice and two spirit snakes. Her spirit pets fought side by side with her and their spiritual power had greatly improved, especially Weishali and Feiyun.

    Weishali could use spiritual power and spit out ck rays.

    Feiyun could psychicallymunicate with her and fly her on its back. But Goddess Mari had sealed the top of ckwater Pool, so Zi You currently could not break through it.

    The five ck mandara flowers could transform into human forms that look like her. Other than having different temperaments, they looked exactly like her.

    Of course, they could transform into other people and things. If the five beautiful women wearing ck saris stood next to Zi You, unless you were particrly familiar with Zi You, you wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish which was the real her.

    Goddess Mari had seen her once since she was locked in ckwater Pool. She had been beheading a hungry crocodile. Goddess Mari hadn¡¯t seemed to think that she would still be alive. She saw her ferocity and strength and finally said, ¡°This yatou is really like me when I was young.¡±

    Second martial brother and Shangguan LingRan went to India to find the divine realm that Goddess Mari governed. That took more than two months. In those two months, Shangguan LingRan and his second martial brother broke through the ninth stage of Xuantian Jue and reached the tenth stage. It could be said to be an epiphany.

    Second martial brother looked at his little martial brother who was called an evildoer and was shocked.

    When they found the God Realm, Dier saw that Shangguan LingRan had really kept his promise to pick Zi You up. But amidst her happiness was deep worry.

    After all, her future son-inw had just be an immortal and he was small in numbers. How was he going to fight against her grandmother, who could summon wind and rain, turn thousands of flowers into soldiers, and was a real goddess with countless small gods and guardians under hermand?

    If her grandmother didn¡¯t change her mind and let Zi You go with him, Dier was afraid that there would be a bloody battle.

    Goddess Mari obviously didn¡¯t put Shangguan LingRan, who was peerles, had outstanding temperament, and looked romantically dandyish, in her eyes. She heard Shangguan LingRan say, ¡°I¡¯m Mu Zi You¡¯s lover. I¡¯m here to take her back.¡±

    Goddess Mari immediately scoffed. ¡°Mu Zi You does not belong to you mortals. She is a goddess. She should stay in the God Realm, ept the worship of her believers, and protect her believers.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her arrogant and condescending attitude as if she was the master of heaven and earth and was looking him and his second martial brother like they were ants. If she wasn¡¯t Zi You¡¯s maternal grandmother, he would have angrily struck out already.

    He gnashed his teeth and took a deep breath. He patiently said again, ¡°You are her grandmother, right? Then you should know that YouYou doesn¡¯t want to be a goddess. She wants to be my wife.¡±

    He already looked handsome. Because he was thinking of Zi You, he looked endlessly affectionate and gentle. Amidst his devilishness, it added a maic charm. The breaths of all the goddesses there stifled. They couldn¡¯t help but look starry-eyed and infatuated at him.

    Goddess Mari was already very unhappy that a man so handsome that he looked like an evildoer was here to pick Zi You up. Now that she saw all her female disciples so un-virtuous, she was so angry that her liver trembled.

    She coldly said, ¡°Your wife? As far as I know, she¡¯s not engaged to you. Besides, so what if she¡¯s engaged to you? She vited God¡¯s will and I threw her into ckwater Pool to feed the crocodiles.¡±

 Chapter 191 - Evildoer Shizi PKs Goddess Mari, Goddess Mari is Touched

    <h4>Chapter 191 Evildoer Shizi PKs Goddess Mari, Goddess Mari is Touched</h4>

    [PK = ¡°yer Kill¡± in games, i.e. fighting or battling]

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Shangguan LingRan was full of anger. He couldn¡¯t restrain himself anymore. He jumped up eight feet high. His palm flipped and fire emerged. The fire soon gathered itself into a ball and was thrown towards Goddess Mari.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s actions were as fast as lightning and Goddess Mari wasn¡¯t hesitant either.

    She gently pushed and a beautiful sea blue ice ball emitting coldness flew towards Shangguan LingRan¡¯s fireball and shattered it.

    Fire sparked and burned several ces in the divine temple. Arge fire soon burned.

    Goddess Mari was really angry now! The divine temple had existed for so many years and no one had dared toe provoke her. Now, someone dared to burn the divine temple right under her eyes. If this was spread out, how was she going to establish herself in the God Realm?

    She waved her hands and countless spiritual Qi turned into sharp swords and flew towards Shangguan LingRan.

    Second martial brother quickly pushed Shangguan LingRan away. He waved and a deep purple fireball bigger than Shangguan LingRan¡¯s fireball flew over to the ice swords.

    Goddess Mari didn¡¯t dare to underestimate them anymore. One of the two people here today was forty or fifty years old and the other was only eighteen or so. She couldn¡¯t tell their level of cultivation. She didn¡¯t expect that they could generate real fire and even block her ice soul water.

    ¡°Catch them!¡± Goddess Mari was anxious. She gave amand as she waved her hands. Countless flower petals dropped down from the sky over the two males.

    The two knew that these colorful flowers weren¡¯t real flowers. Sure enough, they turned into hail the size of apples and smashed down at their heads.

    Second martial brother and Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t dare to be careless. They knew that they had met the biggest enemy of their lives. They lifted their arms and sprayed out two huge fires and turned all the hail into mist.

    Goddess Mari¡¯s eyes turned dark blue. She shouted, ¡°Get out of my way.¡±

    She sped her hands together and her body turned. In an instant, raging seawater poured from the sky, as if it wanted to engulf Shangguan LingRan and second martial brother.

    Second martial brother saw that the situation was bad and quickly pulled Shangguan LingRan behind him. ¡°Little martial brother, we willbine forces to withstand the seawater.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately leaned against his second martial brother¡¯s back and the two people rose into midair.

    Second martial brother intertwined his fingers and a fire spread out in an instant. It formed a dark red ss dome and covered them.

    The seawater roared and pounded against the ss. Water and fire met. It was likeva flowing into the sea and crackled.

    The two people inside the ss dome were fine, but some disciples of lower spiritual attainment in the divine temple were unlucky. Some were scalded by the boiling water and some were swept away by the sea......

    Goddess Maripletely did not expect that the seawater would not flow ording to her intentions when it hit the ss dome, but instead hurt her people.

    She anxiously generated her spiritual power, but she saw a young girl hurriedly ran over to block in front of her. ¡°Great-grandmother, have mercy! Do you really want both sides to suffer?¡±

    Goddess Mari saw that Zi You had actually escaped from ckwater Pool. She was first startled, but then she was even angrier. ¡°They damaged my divine temple. I can¡¯t spare them. And this is all your fault!¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m at your disposal.¡± Zi You spoke decisively. ¡°Just let them go!¡±

    Zi You pointed to Shangguan LingRan and his second martial brother. For them, she, who had never sumbed to Goddess Mari, knelt down in front of her.

    ¡°YouYou!¡± Her clothing was dirty. She was covered in dirt and mud. Her originalplexion and appearance couldn¡¯t be seen, but Shangguan LingRan still recognized her from her bright and sparklingrge purple eyes.

    He quickly flew over to her and grabbed her dark and muddy hands without any disdain.

    Shangguan LingRan was obsessed with cleanliness. If he didn¡¯t deeply love Zi You, how could he not disdain her now?

    Two pairs of hands clenched together. They gazed at each other. They couldn¡¯t see anyone or anything else, as if there were only the two of them on earth.

    This scene made even Goddess Mari, whose heart was like water, feel a little touched.

    She didn¡¯t ask how Zi You escaped from ckwater Pool, but instead said angrily, ¡°They destroyed the divine temple, so they must be punished. I will execute these two heathens!¡±

    ¡°If you want to execute them, then kill me first.¡± Zi You looked at Goddess Mari without fear. ¡°Aren¡¯t you responsible for the destruction of the divine temple too? If you had let me go back to Great Yan, why would theye here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You¡¯s grandmother also knelt down at Goddess Mari¡¯s feet. ¡°Spare them, mother. Their love is more solid than gold. Aren¡¯t you touched?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan knew that the matters today won¡¯t be solved so easily. But he would rather die than have YouYou pay with her life.

    Shangguan LingRan was very proud. If it wasn¡¯t for his imperial grandmother, he would rarely kneel in front of Xuanwu Emperor. And he was even more rebellious in front of his own father.

    But at this moment, he knelt in front of Goddess Mari for Zi You. ¡°You can dispose of me as you wish. But you are not allowed to hurt YouYou. Otherwise, I will sacrifice my life just to destroy your divine temple!¡±

    ¡°You would rather die for her?¡± Goddess Mari looked in disbelief at this young man who was so handsome that he was almost an evildoer.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give up everything for YouYou!¡± Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t hesitate and firmly replied. ¡°It¡¯s no better than death without YouYou. If you don¡¯t let here back to Great Yan, it would be better to kill me.¡±

    ¡°No, great-grandmother. If he dies, I won¡¯t live alone!¡± Zi You¡¯s tears flowed down. She held Shangguan LingRan¡¯s hand tightly and said to Goddess Mari, ¡°You are a worshipped goddess in vain. You im that your mission is to save the whole world. Then, aren¡¯t me and him part of the world?¡±

    ¡°Grandmother, you already broke your vow because of him.¡± Dier cried out excitedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that if there is a man willing to give up his life for a woman, you will fulfill one of his wishes?¡±

    Yes. Goddess Mari had indeed made such a vow. That was because she had been betrayed by the man whom she loved before she became a goddess.

    She had been a wealthy family¡¯s xiaojie. Despite her family¡¯s objections, she had fallen in love with amoner. When she was going to marry him, her father had captured that man and said to him, ¡°If you leave my daughter, I will give you money. But if you insist on being with my daughter, I will kill you.¡±

    That man had betrayed her as soon as he heard that. ¡°I want gold. I didn¡¯t want her to leave her wealthy family to marry me. If she really does that, I won¡¯t have any money to feed her.¡±

    Under Goddess Mari¡¯s father¡¯s mocking gaze and the man¡¯s ruthless gaze, she angrily left the mundane world behind and turned to Buddhism. Sheter became the Goddess of Rain and Flowers.

    But when she became a goddess, her dislike of men was so negative that she had vowed, ¡°If there is a man willing to give up his life for the woman he loves, I will fulfill his wish.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Goddess Mari kept her word of course. So she threw a dagger at Shangguan LingRan. She coldly said, ¡°State your wish before you die.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Zi You wanted to snatch the dagger, but Shangguan LingRan was ahead of her and grabbed it first.

    He looked affectionately at Zi You and said, ¡°My wish is to live with her forever.¡±

    Then he picked up the dagger and fiercely stabbed it at his chest......

    There was no hesitation and his actions were so incredibly quick that even Goddess Mari secretly nodded in praise.

    This young man was not only handsome, but smart, bold, resolute, and even loving towards You¡¯er. If so, then she was reassured leaving her great-granddaughter to him.

    Zi You was so scared by Shangguan LingRan¡¯s actions that she fainted.

    Even Dier closed her eyes in sorrow. But when she opened them again, she saw Shangguan LingRan standing there unharmed. There was no blood on his chest or scars.

    Goddess Mari smiled brightly and dazzlingly. She was already beautiful and noble. This smile gave a bit of warmth to her cold face and suddenly made her seem amiable.

    She waved and a ray of blue light shot towards Zi You.

    Zi You woke up, but her tears flowed down like rain. She pounced on Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Don¡¯t, LingRan......¡±

    His little woman threw herself into his arms. Shangguan LingRan was happy of course. He didn¡¯t care that she was smelly and dirty. He held her like he was holding the most precious treasure in the world and tightly hugged her in his arms.

    Goddess Mari smiled again. She happily said, ¡°You¡¯er, you found the smartest man in the world who also cherishes you the most. Great-grandmother gives you my blessings!¡±

    Hm?! Zi You then reacted. She saw that Shangguan LingRan was fine and cried with joy. She didn¡¯t care about being shy and hugged him again. ¡°Shangguan LingRan, you¡¯re not dead!¡±

    ¡°Little fool!¡± Goddess Mari smiled dotingly. ¡°Your heart was chaotic and didn¡¯t hear what he said. His wish is to live with you forever. So how can I let him die? Besides, he now has a diamond-ted body. This dagger can¡¯t kill him.¡±

    Goddess Mari¡¯s smile then disappeared. She coldly warned Shangguan LingRan, ¡°But please, always remember your wish. If you dare to slight my You¡¯er, I will not spare you!¡±

    ¡°Yes, great-grandmother!¡± Shangguan LingRan respectfully kowtowed three times to Goddess Mari. His smile was devilishly charming and very handsome. The female disciples in the divine temple once again looked smitten.

    Goddess Mari saw this and angrily waved her hand. ¡°Shangguan LingRan, take your woman and scram out of here. Don¡¯t stay here and harm my disciples.¡±

    Second martial brotherughed loudly. He went over to bow. ¡°This Daoist Aochen pays respects to Goddess Mari. Please forgive us for offending you. We damaged the divine temple, so we should fix it for you before leaving.¡±

    Goddess Mari looked back. Her female disciples all looked joyfully surprised. She angrily snorted and decisively refused second martial brother¡¯s offer. ¡°No, this much damage is nothing.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately took out a bag of gold. He held it in front of her with both hands and smiled fawningly. ¡°Great-grandmother, you have to ept this gold. It¡¯s mine and YouYou¡¯s filial piety towards you.¡±

    Goddess Mari liked hearing these words. Her favorable impression of Shangguan LingRan instantly soared. She took the gold and flung it at Zi You¡¯s grandmother. ¡°Give themand to entertain the guests.¡±

    Then she pretended to look angrily at Zi You and scolded, ¡°Ruthless yatou. You just came back and now you¡¯re leaving again. Your grandfather and uncle are your rtives, but I, your mother, and grandmother aren¡¯t? You even said that I have no love in my heart......¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re all my rtives.¡± Zi You pounced over, scaring Goddess Mari to shing far away.

    ¡°You stink! Hurry and take a bath. It¡¯s only your little husband who doesn¡¯t disdain you!¡±

    Few people had seen such a humanized goddess. The atmosphere instantly lightened andughter sounded in the divine temple. If it wasn¡¯t for the charred remains, no one could tell that a life and death battle had just taken ce here.

    When Zi You came out again, not only was Shangguan LingRan stunned, but all the goddesses, guardians, and disciples were stunned.

    Long hair like ck clouds scattered over her shoulders in waves. She wore a light purple sari with embroidered roses in silver thread and iid with diamonds around her delicate body. A purple chain hung on her smooth forehead. Crystal clear beds hung from the middle of the chain between her eyebrows, which gave her a flirtatious air. Her exposed neck, arms, and t belly were white and smooth, like white jade.

    She slightly smiled. Her youthful and sparkling eyes glowed with pearl-like brilliance. They were as clear as a stream under ice without a trace of the mundane world. Her eyshes were long and thick and curved upwards like a fan. She had a small nose and slender jade-like arms. Her lips glowed crystal pink in a beautiful curve. There were pale purple tassels that slowly danced from her jade-like earlobes.

    Dier looked at her daughter and shed tears of excitement. If her daughter was a bud before, she had fully bloomed now. She was like a blossoming purple mandara flower: mysterious, noble, beautiful, enchanting, and exuding a seductive aroma.

    Shangguan LingRan had seen beautiful women before, but he had never seen a beautiful woman like Zi You who was so beautiful that she didn¡¯t seem mortal.

 Chapter 192 - Saving the Most Precious Thing for the Most Sacred Moment [1]

    <h4>Chapter 192 Saving the Most Precious Thing for the Most Sacred Moment [1]</h4>

    If one said that Zi You was a mortal, then she was one who was aloof from the mundane world and morous in her nobility. If one said that she was a fairy, then she was more enchanting and spirited than fairies. If one said that she was a demon, she was more elegant and holy than a demon.

    These many contradictory characteristicsbined in this little woman¡¯s body seemed very harmonious. It was her distinctive charm. One look and one couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized, but also ashamed and afraid of defiling and spheming her.

    Second martial brother had thought that Zi You would be very beautiful, but he was stunned when he saw her. He then smiled and nodded. No wonder. No wonder......

    A weing and farewell banquet started. The exotic music and dancing left a deep impression on Shangguan LingRan and second martial brother.

    It was finally time to leave. Zi You didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer. It was already June. In her previous life, grandfather and uncle went to pacifiy the rebellion in Nanjiang in August. They sumbed to miasma and both died in the line of duty.

    And Shangguan LingRan had already told her, ¡°When I left Great Yan, there were riots on Nanjiang¡¯s border. I think that grandfather and uncle will lead troops to Nanjiang to pacify the rebellion soon.¡±

    So, she must immediately rush to Nanjiang and not let tragedy repeat itself before something happened to grandfather and uncle.

    Many major events were different from her previous life. For example, Shangguan Lingluo died and An Wang was still alive and still stationed in the north. And she was not married to Zhao HongXiang, but was in India right now.

    But many things were on course with the original timeline, like this rebellion for instance. So, she had to find a way to change the ending.

    Dier was reluctant for her daughter to leave, but she thought of Mu YingYi, whom she still could not forget, facing danger. She suppressed her reluctance and smiled as she bid her daughter farewell.

    Goddess Mari walked over to Zi You. Zi You crouched and touched her feet to show her respect.

    Goddess Mari felt reluctant at this point. She ced her hand on Zi You¡¯s head and said kindly, ¡°You can break through my seal. That means that your spiritual power is already very strong. Now, I will send another part of my spiritual power to you.¡±

    She poured a stream of spiritual power into Zi You¡¯s body through her Baihui point.

    Then she told her and Shangguan LingRan again, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of anyone right now, but it is still dangerous going back to Great Yan. You and Shangguan LingRan must work together to fight your enemies.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± They both bowed.

    Zi You could feel a strong airflow running in her body. She immediately stored this spiritual Qi into her dantian.* [Two inches below the navel where Qi resides.]

    Her spiritual power had increased to another level because her mother had told her, ¡°You¡¯er, Shangguan LingRan is here. He¡¯s fighting with your great-grandmother.¡±

    She had been afraid that something would happen to Shangguan LingRan. She had anxiously jumped on Feiyun, concentrated her spiritual power in her hands, and pushed upwards.

    Even she didn¡¯t expect that she would break through Goddess Mari¡¯s seal.

    Even Dier didn¡¯t expect to see her daughter riding Feiyun out of the pool. She covered her mouth and looked at her in surprise and disbelief.

    Afterwards, she came to realize her grandmother¡¯s intentions. Goddess Mari told her, ¡°You¡¯er will certainly leave sooner orter and she won¡¯t stay in the God Realm for a long time. If I don¡¯t force her to cultivate in ckwater Pool, how will she improve her powers so quickly? If she returned to Great Yan like she was, she would only die.¡±

    After bidding her rtives goodbye, Zi You rode the clouds with Shangguan LingRan and second martial brother towards Great Yan......

    When they arrived on Great Yannd, Shangguan LingRan said to his second martial brother, ¡°Second martial brother, go back and tell Shifu so that he won¡¯t be worried. I¡¯ll go back to see him after the Nanjiang rebellion ends.¡±

    Second martial brother didn¡¯t seem to want to be sandwiched between them. He smiled meaningfully and bid them farewell. But he had a very good impression of Zi You. She and his younger martial brother were really a match made in heaven.

    Without second martial brother, Shangguan LingRan started getting mischievous. The little woman whom he had been yearning for for more than two years was in front of him. And she was now even more beautiful and enchanting than before. So how could he hold back?

    When they arrived in the mortal world, they didn¡¯t dare to ride the clouds anymore, so they rode horse carriages. Shangguan LingRan absolutely refused to ride a horse and also sat in the horse carriage.

    The five ck mandara spirits took turns to transform into a coachman to drive.

    Shangguan LingRan really liked staring at Zi You without blinking. He did the same thing even when second martial brother was there. It made Zi You shy and embarrassed, so she avoided him.

    When second martial brother was there, she was too embarrassed to look carefully at how Shangguan LingRan had changed. Now that second martial brother wasn¡¯t here anymore, Zi You was bold enough to look at him.

    But Zi You was startled as soon as their eyes met. His slender and moving bright phoenix eyes were as sincere and obsessed like a sea of flowers. His eyes only had her in them.

    His gaze was as if he had thrown thousands of wisps of silk and wrapped her up tightly.

    ¡°How is it? Is your husband handsome?¡± Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes brightened. A light smile appeared on his handsome face. His eyes were as gentle as flowing water. His voice was as gentle and bewitching like a spring breeze swaying over feathers.

    Zi You looked down bashfully. She hid the trembling in her eyes. She could almost feel the thundering of her heart when their eyes met. She was caught off guard and involuntarily wanted to avoid his gaze. She tried hard to restrain this feeling that she had never had before.

    It seemed that she had never had this feeling before in her previous life or current life. It was numbing and quickly spread from her heart to her limbs.

    Zi You took a deep breath and tried hard to restrain her throbbing heart. She was afraid that she would sink into the feeling. But it was not the time to talk about love and rtionships right now.

    She looked up at Shangguan LingRan. She didn¡¯t know when it was that she could clearly smell that bamboo scent.

    Shangguan LingRan couldn¡¯t help but be ecstatic when he saw that she looked at him with tenderness and bashfulness. Then he saw her lower her head and immediately stood up. He walked over to her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, YouYou? Are you angry at me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zi You looked up and looked somewhat shyly at Shangguan LingRan. Her face waspletely red, which rendered her small face even more beautiful. Her simple gaze almost made Shangguan LingRan couldn¡¯t help but touch her.

    ¡°Then why is your face so red? Ah! Are you feverish?¡± Shangguan LingRan finally couldn¡¯t help it and reached out to touch Zi You¡¯s cheek.

    Once he touched her, they felt a current pass through their bodies. They involuntarily looked at each other again.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes were as affectionate as water. His eyebrow slightly rose. Undisguised joy was in his eyes. His beautiful eyes were deep under the moonlight as clear as water, as if the person he was looking at was the world¡¯s most precious, most cherished, and most fragile treasure.

    Under such scrutiny, Zi You¡¯s bashfulness was like floating ice in spring and melted little by little into a puddle. Her heart began to jump uncontrobly again.

    Shangguan LingRan had a lot of things to say. It¡¯s been two years, two months, and seven days. Only the heavens knew how much he missed her.

    Before he had time to tell her his feelings, he was already in a fight. Then they travelled with an old-fashioned second martial brother between them. Now, no one would disturb them. He had to talk seriously to his YouYou about his feelings.

    Shangguan LingRan turned to look at her jade-like face. He slightly smiled. ¡°YouYou, do you know how happy I am that you¡¯re back? I want to shout and tell the world that you are my wife. Do you know how much I thought about you when I was cultivating hard on Mount Emei? I made marks on a tree. I made one mark per day. Every time I made a mark, I wondered what YouYou was doing at the time and if you¡¯re missing me.

    ¡°YouYou, did you miss me?¡±

    Hiszy voice contained a hint of acting spoiled and being doting. In this lonely night, it was like a plume of feathers scraping across from her cheek to the top of her heart. It wasn¡¯t heavy or light, but was intimate like a lover¡¯s actions.

    Zi You turned numb from her head to her limbs. She blurted out, ¡°Yes. You hateful man! You always unsettled me and made me unable to cultivate.¡±

    How could she not miss him? Such an outstanding and handsome man was so good to her. He was so good that he could abandon everything for her!

    Her starry eyes stared at him. Her limpid eyes held endless affection, which made Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart itch. He sat down next to her and tightly hugged her in his arms. ¡°YouYou, you¡¯re finally mine. It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. No one can take you away from me!¡±

    Zi You looked amused at him. Why did his overbearing and childish deration made her heart feel as if it was soaked in honey, which would disappear in sweet water at any time?

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her bashful face. Under the cool moonlight, she was like the bright moon shining on his heart. His devilishly charming eyes narrowed. A sweet smile appeared on his jade-like face. Hisrge hand held her small hand tightly. The soft feeling in his hand told him that everything today was real. His YouYou was back.

    He looked at the moonlight outside the horse carriage¡¯s window like he was looking at his and Zi You¡¯s future. The horse carriage¡¯s every movement made him very excited and looking forward to the future.

    Shangguan LingRan hugged her from behind. His delicate chin gently rubbed the top of her head. He smelled the scent exuding from her hair and took a deep breath. Hiszy voice contained deep possessiveness. ¡°YouYou, if I can, I really want to take you home right now, so that other people can¡¯t covet you.¡±

    The smile on Zi You¡¯s face slowly turned cold. When she returned to the capital, there were really a lot of things waiting for her to do.

    Firstly, she had to take care of Zhao HongXiang. That scum was actually not tortured to death by his drug addiction.

    Shangguan LingRan had told her that the b*stard was suffering for a while like she had said.

    But Darong Ka had found a way to cure him. Now, Zhao HongXiang had hooked up with Yu Lanxuan. He had listened to Nee Chen and Yu Lanxuan¡¯s instigation and wanted to dissolve the engagement when Old General Mu had suggested it to Duke Yongnan.

    Duke Yongnan had refused, however. ¡°There is no news that You¡¯er is dead. How can we dissolve the engagement now? Won¡¯t we be scolded as being heartless?¡±

    People already gossiped that the engagement was them taking advantage of Zi You. If they dissolved the engagement now, they would be scolded even more. How could there be a girl from a good family willing to marry Zhao HongXiang then? And who would want to have dealings with someone who was so selfish?

    Nee Chen and Zhao HongXiang didn¡¯t understand. They gave up since Duke Yongnan refused. Nee Chen also felt that Yu Lanxuan had the aura from a small family and couldn¡¯t be seen in public. She wasn¡¯t worthy to be the mistress of Duke Yongnan fu.

    And there was still Wang Yiping. After Old General Mu was severely ill because of Zi You, then Mu YingYi became ill. After he recovered, Nee Liu was ill from exhaustion.

    There was no other choice. There were no other female masters at home. In addition, Wang Yiping had used her blood to copy scriptures to pray for Old General Mu. Old General Mu saw that Nee Liu was ill and left her in charge of the house temporarily.

    This woman was absolutely treacherous. Her two legs were originallypletely wasted. Somehow, one of her legs was healed. Now, although the other leg wasme, she could walk with the help of crutches.

    And Mu YingRui was demoted because of her, so he hadn¡¯t seen her for a period of time. But he had been gradually coaxed by her. In addition, he saw that one of her legs wasme, so he was extra tender towards her. He had reconciled with her again. And now this woman was six months pregnant.

    And there was Taizi. He had been in the limelighttely. Since such a thing happened on his and Liu Ruixue¡¯s wedding night, that man began to coax Liu Ruixue and was particrly loving towards her.

    The Empress was dissatisfied and often made things difficult for Liu Ruixue. Taizi had protected her and even quarreled with the Empress.

    The thing that made Liu Ruixue touched was that Taizi was actually there at Duke Anguo¡¯s 45th birthday party. He had even addressed Duke Anguo his father-inw.

    As such, news of Taizi favoring the concubine and neglecting the wife spread. Liu Ruixue was very touched. Even Duke Anguo who had not expressed his position before had stepped out in support for Taizi.

    As a result, Duke Anguo furen had persuaded Nee Liu to persuade Mu YingYi to ce people from Taizi¡¯s camp in the army of the five cities.

    Nee Liu was then reprimanded by Mu YingYi. They had quarreled and Mu YingYi was angry and slept in the study. As a result, Nee Liu¡¯s first-rank maidservant Yueluo schemed to climb onto the bed. She had drugged Mu YingYi and he had epted Yueluo as a tongfang yatou.

    Nee Liu was doubly betrayed by her husband and confidant maidservant and became severely ill again.

    Zi You immediately suspected that this was done by Wang Yiping. Zi You didn¡¯t believe that a demon would really be a Buddha.

    ¡°YouYou......¡± Shangguan LingRan saw that Zi You was distracted and his face turned cold. Her deep and brightrge eyes weren¡¯t looking at him anymore. He immediately protested in dissatisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to think of other people or other things now. You can only think about me.¡±

 Chapter 193 - Saving the Most Precious Thing for the Most Sacred Moment [2]

    <h4>Chapter 193 Saving the Most Precious Thing for the Most Sacred Moment [2]</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face stiffened overbearingly. He turned her around and forced her to look at him again.

    Zi You looked at him acting spoiled. Her heart softened and she turned to reach out for his nose. ¡°You¡¯re right in front of me. So why would I think about you?¡±

    ¡°You have to think about me even if I¡¯m in front of you, like how I think about you all the time.¡± Shangguan LingRan slowly rubbed Zi You¡¯s hair with his chin.

    Zi You¡¯s heart turned into a puddle of spring water. She couldn¡¯t help but twist around and kiss his face.

    When her pink lips touched Shangguan LingRan¡¯s cheek, Zi You then realized what she did. She quickly turned around again.

    ¡°YouYou, if only time stopped right now.¡± After being stunned for a moment, Shangguan LingRan¡¯s heart felt as if countless fireworks had set off. His excited phoenix eyes were as bright as stars.

    Although he didn¡¯t know why YouYou suddenly kissed him and although he was a little regretful that she only kissed his cheek, this was still the first time that YouYou took the initiative to kiss him. The meaning behind that was absolutely extraordinary!

    Shangguan LingRan looked at her bashfully looking down. Her long hair flowed down from her shoulders, like a charming and motionless water lotus.

    A phrase immediately appeared in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s mind:¡°The gentleness of lowering one¡¯s head.¡±

    The woman in front of him was the most beautiful scenery in the world. A touch of bright pink was on her cheeks. Her eyes were as graceful as distant mountains in the sky. They were as bright as the brightest stars, as if they could hook out your soul in an instant. Her lips were as rich and lustrous as the most delicate of flowers.

    The horse carriage was filled with Zi You¡¯s unique fragrance. The clear and refreshing scent wafted into his nose and into his heart, like a small hand constantly scratching and making him ufortable!

    He looked at the little woman at this time. She was no longer tender like she was two years ago. Her body was like flourishing bamboo after rain. It was slender and slim, but couldn¡¯t hide her exquisite curves.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes seemed to be a brush. He traced his eyes along her jade-like and swan-like neck to her narrow waist. His eyes contained intense heat.

    The night wind blew into the low-key luxurious horse carriage from time to time. The atmosphere inside was very quiet. Zi You was even warmer than when she had kissed his cheek. She looked up ufortably and happened to look right into a handsome man¡¯s heated eyes.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s narrow and beautiful eyes looked into Zi You¡¯s bashful ones. They were immediately in a stalemate once again. Zi You wanted to look away, but there seemed to be some magic in Shangguan LingRan¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t look away and stared deeply into the heated tenderness.

    The rolling wheels of the horse carriage sounded. Moonlight seemed to seep inside like water through the muslin curtained windows with a touch of silvery yellow.

    The two seemed to look at each other for forever when the horse carriage suddenly jolted. Shangguan LingRan, who was looking at Zi You, suddenly twisted and he fell heavily onto Zi You¡¯s chest.

    Shangguan LingRan suddenly ran into her soft chest. He didn¡¯t react and leaned on something to sit up. He happened to see Zi You¡¯s lowered small face.

    He suddenly realized what he had run into.

    Zi You was instantly petrified. It was like she couldn¡¯t move. It was the summertime, so her clothing was thin. It felt like a hot stove was sticking to her chest and made all the blood in her body boiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master! You¡¯re not hurt, right?¡± A ck mandara flower spirit¡¯s seductive voice sounded from outside.

    ¡°No.¡± Zi You replied, but she didn¡¯t know where to look. She could only look up at pattern on the luxurious brocade on the roof of the horse carriage. If the heat on her chest didn¡¯t disappear, she was absolutely afraid to look down at a certain someone......

    But, why hadn¡¯t he moved yet? That was her chest......

    Zi You was aware that something was wrong. Her face instantly turned so red that it could drip blood. She quickly bowed her head and pushed Shangguan LingRan. ¡°You...... You...... Hurry and get up......¡±

    Her hands were tightly caught by Shangguan LingRan. She couldn¡¯t extricate her hands even when she used strength.

    Zi You was bashful and anxious. Tears were starting to gather in her eyes. ¡°LingRan, let go......¡±

    Her voice was bashful and softly pleading. A woman¡¯s sweet voice contained a touch of trembling and fragility. This was supposed to be a protest, but when he heard it, he involuntarily had the impulse to go even further.

    At first, Shangguan LingRan was dazed. He had hit such a beautiful ce that he couldn¡¯t even imagine. He looked up to exin to Zi You and saw her blushing face. He felt that this was the most beautiful scenery in the world. He was reluctant to look away.

    When Zi You urged him, her sweet scent mixed with her soft voice. He inexplicably pulled Zi You into his arms instead.

    Zi You felt her mind go nk. Her world flipped. Before she understood what was going on, Shangguan LingRan¡¯s warm lips pressed down on her lips.

    His bamboo scent was faint and mild before, but now it was like the most overbearing breath and wrapped her up in it.

    His tongue was flexible and overbearing. It rushed into her mouth and possessed every inch of her sweetness. Zi You¡¯s mind burst into sparks like lit fireworks. Then her mind went nk......

    The horse carriage that Shangguan LingRan bought was very spacious. Theyout was also veryfortable. A thick brocade mat covered the entire horse carriage inside. It was the most suitable for him tozily and casually lie down at anytime.

    At this time, thisyout was even more convenient for him. Zi You was held in his arms. Their kiss was too extraordinary and it made him reluctant to let go of the little woman in his arms.

    Zi You pushed, pulled, and scratched. All of it sunk into the sea. It didn¡¯t make him react in the slightest. Instead, he pressed Zi You down on the horse carriage¡¯s brocade mattress.

    His eyes became deeper. His handsome face became more devilishly charming due to the redness on his face.

    Zi You was pressed under him and had difficulty breathing. She couldn¡¯t help but open her eyes. She was immediately attracted by the handsome man in front of her.

    She didn¡¯t know that as she was looking at the handsome man, the handsome man was also looking at her.

    Her misty eyes became somewhat blurry because of her bashfulness. Her gaze seemed hazy and innocent, but even more charming. Her full and soft lips were slightly open because of her difficulty in breathing, like a silent invitation.

    Shangguan LingRan pressed down on her again. This time, his bodypletely covered Zi You. His right hand wrapped around her back. His legs mped down on Zi You¡¯s legs from either side. His left hand held Zi You¡¯s head to control all of her movements.

    This ambiguous and shameful posture made Zi You open her mouth to exim. But her mouth was swallowed by him. It looked like there was gentleness in the fierce action. This time, Shangguan LingRan enticed Zi You to enjoy this sensation.

    His movements weren¡¯t skilled, but very patient. Zi You could feel intentions, his passion, and his love from his serious actions. Everything was transferred through their touch.

    Zi You was someone who had experienced two lifetimes, so of course she knew what kind of man was an old hand. Although Shangguan LingRan was apletely different overbearing than his usual self, he was not an expert.

    But, Zi You¡¯s heart rate gradually became imbnced under his light and heavy actions. Her heart jumped wildly like it had never done before in her previous life.

    However, it couldn¡¯t be denied that Shangguan LingRan was a very intelligent person. This intelligence wasn¡¯t used on anything else but on the rtions between men and women.

    The atmosphere in the horse carriage became more and more heated. Shangguan LingRan felt Zi You¡¯s initial resistance transform into the current passive acquiescence and finally, soft surrender.

    Her arms were wrapped around Shangguan LingRan¡¯s back. His lips moved to her pink earlobe and gently bit it. Zi You trembled and hugged him tighter.

    Shangguan LingRan smiled evilly. From the previous intimate touches, he discovered that Zi You¡¯s earlobes were her sensitive areas. She would pant ufortably whenever they were touched.

    His tongue rolled up her soft earlobe. When he heard her suppressed panting, he was finally no longer satisfied with this simple contact. His right hand instinctively sought out the edge of her dress to explore inside.

    When his warm fingers came into contact with soft and silk-like skin, Shangguan LingRan felt a greater me spread from his fingertips to the rest of his body. In that moment, his mind went nk. All of his blood flowed to below his body and made him stifled and ufortable!

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but want to move to avoid that burning palm. But she inadvertently hit the area between his legs.

    The familiar and odd touch suddenly woke her up. She stared at Shangguan LingRan¡¯s face.

    Zi You¡¯s bright and misty eyes in the candlelight were limpid and sparkling, which made Shangguan LingRan suddenly turn bashful. He felt that he had been too presumptuous looking at this pair of clear and translucent starry eyes.

    However, he also saw that Zi You¡¯s snowy peaks were undting up and down because of her panting. His Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down. His brain once again filled with the sensation of when he had hit those snowy peaks earlier.

    This little woman was too tempting. Even his neen years of amazing control was somewhat out of control at this time. He was like a young kid who had just seen a woman for the first time. He couldn¡¯t help but want to possess this beautiful dream.

    His gaze was very focused. And because it was too focused, Zi You was scared. She seemed to see a beast as it eyed its prey before it caught the prey. It seemed that as long as the prey moved, the beast would pounce over and wildly and uncontrobly enjoy the delicious meal.

    Shangguan LingRan was never someone who followed the rules. He had always done as he pleased. While people couldn¡¯t find anything to use against him, he was still walking his own uninhibited path. It wasn¡¯t impossible for him to pounce over and swallow her into his stomach.

    But during their time together, Shangguan LingRan had never use martial arts to force her, just like today. It wasn¡¯t impossible if she really wanted to push him away. However, she didn¡¯t want to push him away. She liked him. It was normal for people who love each other to want to be with, embrace, and touch each other.

    However, they were not yet husband and wife nor even fianc¨¦ and fianc¨¦e. Precisely speaking, they were having an affair because Zi You had not yet dissolved her engagement with Zhao HongXiang.

    Zi You slowly regained her reason and Shangguan LingRan was trying to control his thoughts and movements. To him, Zi You was like a drug that an addict was looking at. She was an irresistible craving. It¡¯s been like this since the first time that he saw her.

    It was as if he fell under an enchantment. Since he first saw her, he wanted to get close to her, explore her, and study her until he couldn¡¯t be without her.

    She was pressed under him at this time. Every inch of her was at his mercy. Her body was soft. Her taste was sweet. But she wasn¡¯t officially his wife yet. It had been 778 days since that night when they had pledged their love till now. There wasn¡¯t one moment when he didn¡¯t miss or thought about making her his woman.

    But he could not because that would be too casual for YouYou. It would be sphemy to her if he took his treasure without telling the world openly and aboveboard and holding a grand wedding. It would be regretful if he didn¡¯t save the most precious thing for the most sacred moment.

    If he waited a bit, perhaps YouYou would be his rightful wife soon. At that time, he could do what he wanted to do.

    Shangguan LingRan stopped his endless thoughts and took a deep breath. His narrow eyes were determined, as if he had just made an important decision. He blinked as if he wanted to hide everything that had just happened. He said to Zi You, ¡°Are you hungry? Shall we eat? I bought a lot of things that you like from the market.¡±

    Hm?! He was letting her off just like that? Zi You didn¡¯t react, but she understood when she saw him looking at her like she was a treasure.

    He was respecting her! He was a man could think of that at such a crucial moment. How lucky was she?

    Zi You felt as if sweet honey poured all over her heart.

    She sat up slowly. She bowed her head as she tidied up her clothing. She looked tenderly at him with a sweet smile as he took out tes and chopsticks.

 Chapter 194 - A Trap in the Swamp. A Fairy Descends at a Critical Moment [1]

    <h4>Chapter 194 A Trap in the Swamp. A Fairy Descends at a Critical Moment [1]</h4>

    She enjoyed him carefully and considerately putting food in her mouth. When they finished eating, Shangguan LingRan was less than skillful as he stuffed the dishes into the food box. He frowned because he was irritated that he couldn¡¯t put the lid on because the dishes were ced inside incorrectly......

    A blossoming smile appeared on Zi You¡¯s face, like a spring breeze blowing on the south banks and brought splendor with it.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s father died around this time in her previous life. When his grandfather resigned, Shangguan LingRan had disappeared.

    In this life, even she had to fight against the heavens, she had to be with Shangguan LingRan and work together to live a hard-won happy life.

    When she thought that they would live together and that she would be his wife, Zi You¡¯s mouth curved sweetly. Her eyes were mellow like osmanthus wine under the moon. Her whole face exuded brilliance.

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan rushed the whole journey. They arrived in Nanjiang just as Old General Mu, Mu YingYi, and their army were in danger.

    This life was different from the previous life. In the previous life, Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were killed because Darong Ka had posed as a guide and followed the army. He had waited for the opportunity to ce a gu on Old General Mu and Mu YingYi.

    In fact, the anti-gu medicines that Dier had left had been changed by Wang Yiping. That was why even if they didn¡¯t die because of the gu, they had died because of the miasma. It was impossible for them to escape.

    And in this life, Zi You and Dier had both left them anti-gu and anti-miasma medicines. The female medical team was closely protected, so Wang Yiping failed to switch out the medicines. Hence, Darong Ka could not use his gu. Finally, he had no other choice but to first lead the army under Mu YingYi¡¯smand into the trapid out by the rebels.

    The 20,000 men were trapped in the jungle and couldn¡¯t escape. There were swamps and poisonous snakes and insects there. There were heavy casualties among the 20,000 soldiers.

    Old General Mu saw that his son had gone into the mountains for so many days and didn¡¯t even send a message. He was just feeling anxious when Darong Ka, who cut a sorry figure, ran back to tell him, ¡°It¡¯s bad, Old General Mu. Young General is captured by the enemy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±Old General Mu was anxious as soon as he heard. ¡°What happened? How did they get captured?¡±

    Darong Ka pretended to be sad as he shed tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I led them through a shortcut, but there was an ambush there. Young General wanted to save people and was captured.¡±

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t suspect him. Darong Ka was a guide rmended by the Emperor. Old General Mu didn¡¯t think that there was a conspiracy here and that he actually wanted to kill him.

    Old General Mu was impatient to save his son and hurriedly brought the remaining 20,000 soldiers to follow Darong Ka into the mountains and jungle again. Old General Mu lost his calm in the emergency. He didn¡¯t think that the Emperor had given him 80,000 soldiers the previous two times to pacify rebellions in Nanjiang. But this time, he had only given him the 40,000 soldiers who went to Mount Yunmengst time. This was out of the ordinary.

    Xuanwu Emperor knew that this army of 40,000 soldiers was Old General Mu¡¯s confidants. So, he didn¡¯t agree when Old General Mu proposed to change the garrison.

    As a result, 20,000 people went into the mountains and jungles that were like a bottomless abyss. They couldn¡¯t see the way out. And Darong Ka had already run away.

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan arrived at the camp where the 40,000 soldiers were camping. They saw that there were only 40 or 50 soldiers left to guard the camp. There were also more than a dozen or so female medical team members, led by third-rank General Xue Zichao. Everyone was like lost geese away from their flock. They were anxiously waiting for Old General Mu and the army and couldn¡¯t calm down.

    They saw Zi You and the disguised Shangguan LingRan and even a seven-foot tall man started crying. ¡°Xiaojie, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re still alive! Hurry and think of a way to save Old General Mu and Young General. Young General has been in the mountains for more than a dozen days. Old General Mu has left for three days. There haven¡¯t been any messages. How is this good?¡±

    Although Zi You was very anxious, she still looked calmly at him. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Get ready to leave. Bring more drinkable water ande with me into the mountains to save them. Grandfather left you here to let you report to the capital, right?¡±

    Xue Zichao nodded. ¡°Yes! Your mother led us the first two times. But this time, the Emperor rmended some awful guide. He led Young General to get captured by rebels. I don¡¯t know what Young General¡¯s situation is right now.¡±

    ¡°Commander.¡± The third captain of the female medical team Luo Weicheng immediately saluted Zi You. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Think of a way to save Old General Mu.¡±

    Zi You pondered and said to Shangguan LingRan, ¡°Master, I will take them into the mountains. You fly in the air. We will approach them in two directions.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan was afraid that Zi You would be in danger in the jungles and immediately shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take them into the mountains. You search in the air.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s intelligent eyes shone vividly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. ckwater Pool is more dangerous than here, but I survived it. Don¡¯t argue. Time waits for no one. Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    She waved her hand and ordered, ¡°General Xue, bring the soldiers along ande with me.¡±

    General Xue was thirty-four years old this year. His rank was also higher than Zi You¡¯s. But he saw how calm she was without any trace of panic. He involuntarily believed her and blindly followed her instructions.

    Zi You led people into the jungle like this. Shangguan LingRan took Feiyun and Lightning, flew around in the sky above the jungle, and kept looking down at the jungle.

    Zi You entered the jungle and immediately focused. A warm spiritual Qi flowed along her meridians and concentrated in her eyes. Her vision was immediately strengthened a few hundreds of times. She could see several hundreds of miles around the jungle. She used her spiritual power and effortlessly carried out a simple search of this deep jungle.

    Shangguan LingRan had flown around for more than two hours before he finally found traces left by Old General Mu and the army that he led. He immediately informed Zi You, ¡°YouYou, I found grandfather.¡±

    ¡°I see him too.¡± Zi You said, ¡°They fell into arge swamp. I¡¯ll go ahead and save them. You follow along with General Xue.¡±

    She shed and rose into the air. She soon disappeared.

    General Xue was so scared that his mouth was opened wide. It seemed that Xiaojie and this expert weren¡¯t mortal anymore. Could they still be mortals if they could fly?

    Zi You rushed to the ce where her grandfather was. The situation was really dangerous. The soldiers didn¡¯t know where the swamps were. They could only use sticks to explore their path forward. As such, soldiers would fall into swamps from time to time. Not only that, but there were lots of poisonous snakes and insects. There were also countless leeches.

    A small soldier was dragged out from the swamp. He felt ufortable and took off his clothing. His body was speckled with leeches. It was an expanse of ck and very terrifying.

    Old General Mu was troubled. Dier had led the way the previous two times. They had never came this direction nor encountered this unfortunate swampy areas. At this time, Old General Mu finally realized that there was something wrong with Darong Ka. But it was already toote.

    This time, he and his son would probably die here. But he couldn¡¯t see his granddaughter before he died. He was really unreconciled!

    Old General Mu was thinking about his granddaughter when he heard a beautiful voice in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, grandfather. I¡¯ming to save you!¡±

    Old General Mu looked up. He saw a girl wearing a white cloud brocade and blue lined embroidered moir¨¦ riding outfit. Her wavy and long hair draped behind her with a blue ribbon in it. She had a delicate and perfect goose egg face. Her skin was like snow and creamy like water. Her pair of purple eyes was more crystal clear than the most dazzling amethyst. She fell down from the sky and quicklynded on the swampy area.

    However, she was as light as a swallow and simr to a crane. Shended with one foot in the swamp, but her pair of white boots wasn¡¯t even dirty.

    Although this girl was taller than the original Zi You by a head and although this girl was more beautiful than his granddaughter, Old General Mu could recognize her with one nce. His precious You¡¯er was back.

    Old General Mu¡¯s tears almost immediately flowed out. He wanted to happily call her over, but he thought of their current desperate situation. He couldn¡¯t let his granddaughter be in danger again.

    Thus, his face was cold as he snapped, ¡°You¡¯er, hurry and leave. It¡¯s too dangerous here. You shouldn¡¯t havee.¡±

    Old General Mu was anxious, so he didn¡¯t think about why his granddaughter¡¯s clothing was intact and not even dirty. If she didn¡¯t have some ability, how could she traverse through the jungle and arrive where he was?

    Zi You saw that her grandfather was still concerned about her even when his life was in danger. Intense affection immediately surged. But she didn¡¯t have time to tell him that she missed him or exin anything when a python as thick as a baby¡¯s waist quietly slithered near her grandfather. It was about to open its mouth to devour him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, grandfather!¡± Zi You shouted. Her Qi flowed through her meridians and gathered in her right hand. A purple ray shot out from her index finger towards the python.

    The python¡¯s tail swept around and soon stopped moving. The python stayed immobile on the ground. Then a burnt smell wafted.

    Old General Mu looked back. The python¡¯s head had been burnt into ck charcoal.

    He hadn¡¯t reacted yet when Zi You shed over to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandfather. I¡¯ll go save them.¡±

    Her body rose and flew into the air again. All of her spiritual power was focused on her hands. She pushed her palms out and a purple ball of light appeared.

    The ball of light gradually expanded into waves and covered the entire swamp. At this time, the soldiers who had fallen into the swamp felt a powerful force that pulled them out from the quagmire. The wounded soldiers were miraculously healed. The soldiers covered in leeches saw the leeches fall off and turn into burnt charcoal. The soldiers who were poisoned, on the verge of death, or had even died not long ago all miraculously woke up. Even the smelly and terrifying swamp turned into a fragrant grassy area. The poisonous snakes and insects were all dead.

    They looked at Zi You floating down from the air like a fairy. Her white riding outfit made her look even more refined and elegant, like a fairy descending to the mortal world.

    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Zi Younded next to Old General Mu and said, ¡°Rest with the solders here. Set up camp when General Xue and the others arrive. Wait for me toe back. I¡¯m going to save uncle right now.¡±

    His granddaughter¡¯s shocking arrival and her shocking way of saving people had already shocked Old General Mu into a petrified state.

    Zi You shook his arm again. ¡°Be careful, grandfather! Remember. Don¡¯t go anywhere until Ie back.¡±

    He then reacted. He grabbed his granddaughter and said, ¡°Be careful, You¡¯er!¡±

    Although she was very powerful now, Old General Mu still wasn¡¯t assured as he spoke to her before she flew into the air again.

    Wei Mingchao and Rong Qiyan were with Old General Mu. They saw this and reacted first. They shouted excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s great! It¡¯s Xiaojie. Xiaojie came back from the heavens to rescue us. We¡¯re saved!¡±

    ¡°The Commander...... The Commander is back, sisters. The Commander didn¡¯t die. She¡¯s back!¡±

    20,000 soldiers, even those who had fallen into the swamp and weren¡¯t pronounced brain dead, were all alive. After the initial excitement, their gratitude and worship towards Zi You had reached the peak.

    At this time, no one would betray Zi You. Some of these people were part of the army who had gone to Mount Emei. Old General Mu had been worried that they would leak out the news that Zi You had spiritual power and An Wang Shizi¡¯s feelings for her.

    However, after experiencing Zi You bing seriously injured after saving more than 500 soldiers in danger and her saving them this time again, the soldiers weren¡¯t stupid. They knew that the person whom they secretly called their fairy was a real fairy. They also knew that Xiaojie¡¯s matters couldn¡¯t be known by outsiders. Otherwise, it would inevitably cause a disaster.

    She¡¯s a fairy. Who wouldn¡¯t want to obtain her?

    Hence, when Old General Mu ordered everyone to keep what happened today a secret, everyone shouted in unison, ¡°We vow allegiance to Old General Mu and Xiaojie.¡±

    In addition, Zi You rose into the air and immediately took out anti-insect drugs to sprinkle around the army. With these powders, no poisonous creatures would get close to her grandfather and the soldiers. That way, she could be assured to go rescue the other people.

    Afterwards, she immediately focused her spiritual power on her eyes. She nced around the jungle, but she didn¡¯t see her uncle.

    Zi You thought of the Empress¡¯ cunning and ruthlessness. She informed Shangguan LingRan, ¡°Grandfather is resting in the southwest swamp. Go meet up with him. I¡¯ll go find uncle. Don¡¯te find me. Go protect grandfather.¡± She flew to another part of the jungle to search.

    Mu YingYi led 20,000 soldiers and had experienced danger like they never had before. They were brought by Darong Ka to another swamp known as ¡°Land of Death.¡±

    This swamp was bigger than the one Old General Mu encountered. There were also much more poisonous creatures here. The leeches were thicker than the big toe of an adult man. The pythons were also terrifyinglyrge. There were also many poisonous insects that they had never seen before hidden in the grass. It was dangerous in the swampy areas, but it was even more dangerous in the areas without a swamp.

 Chapter 195 - A Trap in the Swamp. A Fairy Descends at a Critical Moment [2]

    <h4>Chapter 195 A Trap in the Swamp. A Fairy Descends at a Critical Moment [2]</h4>

    4,540 people had died out of the 20,000 people whom Mu YingYi led. Most were bitten by poisonous creatures and died. Some fell into the swamp and some died of heat stroke and dehydration.

    The remaining people were also injured and dying. Nanjiang¡¯s climate was already prone to change. But now, they were in the swamps and jungles. They had been in the mountains for fourteen days and had experienced heavy rains five times. Even having drinking water became a problem.

    The medicines and food all went bad. The water in the ponds of the jungles had parasites and couldn¡¯t be drunk. This was something that Dier had repeatedly warned them about back then. So, they could only drink rainwater. However, the rainwater that they collected couldn¡¯t be maintained for a long time with such high temperatures. And the female medical team needed to use clean water to clean the wounds of the soldiers bitten by poisonous creatures. The water was used up even faster.

    Overall, the current situation was extremely dangerous. Even Mu YingYi thought that the heavens were going to end him.

    That was because he had betrayed Dier. He had actually had a woman besides Nee Liu. Although that girl used an aphrodisiac, why couldn¡¯t he control himself and had rtions with her? This was the heavens punishing him!

    Because he couldn¡¯t marry Dier, he had secretly vowed that he although he had no choice but to marry Nee Liu, he would never touch another woman other than her.

    But...... But......

    Hence, Mu YingYi thought that this unsessful counter-insurgency, meeting the spy Darong ka, falling into the swamps, and suffering such dangers were all evidence of the heavens punishing him. He became disheartened and even more deste.

    The leader¡¯s mood absolutely affected the soldiers. The soldiers saw that their Commander was negative and in despair, and panicked even more. The soldiers quarreled and med each other. They were about to fight amongst themselves.

    Zi You found them at this time. She saw that the situation was urgent and didn¡¯t greet Mu YingYi. She summoned the five ck mandara spirits and ordered, ¡°Come with me to save them. Look around and don¡¯t miss anyone.¡±

    This area of swamp was toorge. The soldiers had dispersed in order to find a way out. She was afraid that her Qi wouldn¡¯t cover such a huge expanse of area and that someone wouldn¡¯t be saved.

    The five spirits left. Zi You no longer hesitated. She immediately concentrated her spiritual power in her palms to start saving people. After a powerful blue and purple light shed, Mu YingYi and the soldiers hadn¡¯t yet reacted to what had happened when they notice that the area they were in no long exuded a stench. The terrifying swamp had an area of green grass. There was a clear pond nearby. The water there was so clear that they could see their reflections.

    It was like a dream. Everyone thought that they were dreaming. Some thought that they were already dead. And some thought that they were hallucinating because they were about to die.

    Zhang Wei and Rong Yunhe were amongst this group of people. Zhang Wei was bitten by a poisonous snake and was saved by Rong Yunhe. That was why they were together.

    Zhang Wei was in despair seeing this scene. He smiled bitterly. ¡°Rong Yunhe, am I dying? I see grass and a pond......¡±

    ¡°I also see it.¡± Rong Yunhe¡¯s lips were all chapped. He had left all the water to the wounded soldiers. He was seriously dehydrated now.

    Just then, Zi You slowlynded. Rong Yunhe foolishly said, ¡°I also see a fairy. The fairy seems to...... look like Xiaojie......¡±

    He thought that he was going to die and finally saw the person whom he had been yearning and missing.

    Mu YingYi thought that he was looking at Dier. He smiled and said, ¡°Dier...... I know that this is a hallucination. You¡¯re mad at me, so you won¡¯te to save me again.¡±

    Zi You saw that he looked a bit strange and quickly shook him. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s me! I¡¯m You¡¯er. I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er?¡± Mu YingYi was shocked. He looked at her and stretched out a trembling hand. He said weakly, ¡°Is this another hallucination? I...... I don¡¯t believe it. You bite me.¡±

    ¡°Uncle......¡± Zi You¡¯s heart was in pain! Her uncle was such an iron-blooded and strong man. If he wasn¡¯t so extremely desperate and in so much grief, why else would he be so fragile?

    Zi You grabbed his hand and bit down hard. She cried as she said, ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re not dreaming or hallucinating. Your You¡¯er is really back.¡±

    The pain from his hand pulled Mu YingYi back to his senses. He looked steadily at Zi You. His tears spilled out. ¡°You¡¯er, it¡¯s really......¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish speaking when he copsed. He had forced himself tost until this moment, like a taut leash. Now, it finally snapped......

    Zi You¡¯s hand waved. A purple beam of light expanded and quickly enveloped Mu YingYi.

    Then she ordered the five ck mandara spirits, ¡°Hurry and bring some food and water. They¡¯re too weak.¡±

    The ck mandara spirits were named with the elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The first one to transform was Jinling. The second was Muling, the third was Shuiling, the fourth was Huoling, and thest was called Tuling respectively.

    Shuiling was really like a water demon. She looked very simr to Zi You, but her temperament was extremely seductive.

    She smiled at this moment and seemed to be able to confuse all living beings. The heartbeats of the soldiers looking at this beat like a drum. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    ¡°Pick congee. They can¡¯t eatvishly right now.¡± Zi You wasn¡¯t assured as she told Shuiling.

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Her body rotated rapidly and gradually transformed into a huge ck mandara flower.

    Soon, the soldiers saw arge sack full of water, a bowl of congee, and two side dishes in front of them.

    Although it was just ordinary water, the congee and side dishes enticed the soldiers into salivating. After gulping down the water, they picked up the bowl of rice and guzzled their food down like a whirlwind. The congee and side dishes quickly entered their stomachs.

    Zi You feltpassionate. How pitiful! She didn¡¯t know how long it had been since they ate.

    ¡°Commander......¡± An excited shout made Zi You turn her head to see Rong Yunheing over.

    The young man had grown a whole head taller. He was haggard and skinny and his skin was extremely chapped. She knew that he was seriously dehydrated with one nce.

    ¡°Give him water,¡± Zi You immediately said to Shuiling.

    Shuiling transformed into a human form and handed a water sack to Rong Yunhe. She didn¡¯t forget to wink at him.

    Rong Yunhe¡¯s face turned red. He red angrily at her.

    He thought: ¡®Why did Xiaojie ept such maidservants around her? They don¡¯t look like decent people. But they don¡¯t seem like courtesans. These women don¡¯t have the air from a brothel around them. They¡¯re more like alluring spirits. Yes, they are alluring spirits!¡¯

    It was impossible to describe the ecstasy in the soldiers¡¯ hearts. They knew that they could get out of this deathly area alive. Almost everyone hugged each other and cried. And to their surprise, the soldiers who died an hour to two hours ago also woke up.

    At this time, they finally realized that the little fairy in their hearts was really a fairy. She saved them when they were facing death once again.

    There were more than 400 soldiers here who were saved by Zi You during the sh floodst time. They all knelt down at her feet at this time. ¡°Xiaojie, we will never forget your lifesaving grace!¡±

    Zi You shook her head humbly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Remember. We arerades who go through life and death together. We should not abandon or give up on each other.¡±

    These wordster became the motto of the remaining 35,647 soldiers minus the 4,352 who weren¡¯t saved.

    Because of Zi You, these people would blindly follow Old General Mu. Not one would ever betray Old General Mu or Zi You.

    Mu YingYi woke up three dayster. The army that he led had triumphantly rendezvoused with the army that Old General Mu led.

    They didn¡¯t expect that they would see their fallenrades again. They hugged theirrades and wept with joy.

    Rong Qiyan and Rong Yunhe also hugged and cried for a while.

    The female medical team wasn¡¯t able to catch up with Zi You because she had been busy saving people. They all huddled around her now. But Old General Mu had a lot of things that he wanted to say to his granddaughter. And Mu YingYi and Shangguan LingRan also wanted to hog Zi You to themselves.

    Although it had only been two days since Shangguan LingRan saw Zi You, in his words, ¡°One day without seeing each other is like being separated for three autumns. Besides, it¡¯s already been two days and ten hours.¡±

    So, the three men immediately drove away the girls from the female medical team.

    ¡°You¡¯re tired, but your Commander is also tired. Go take a good rest. Say what you want to sayter.¡± Old General Mu spoke with a dignified expression.

    He turned to look at his granddaughter and smiled like a sunflower. ¡°You¡¯ve made me missed you to death!¡±

    His tiger eyes became tearful as he choked his words out.

    Zi You was still like a child. She wanted to pounce into Old General Mu¡¯s arms, but some petty man pulled her into his arms. ¡°YouYou, your husband, I, am here. Remember not to fall into other people¡¯s arms.¡±

    Old General Mu was immediately jealous. He red at Shangguan LingRan with rounded tiger eyes. He stroked his beard as he threatened, ¡°It seems that I have to carefully consider your request to marry You¡¯er......¡±

    ¡°Grandfather is an exception of course.¡± Old General Mu hadn¡¯t finished voicing his threat yet when Shangguan LingRan pushed Zi You into Old General Mu¡¯s arms.

    He smiled like a fox, but was endlessly ck belly. Huh! When YouYou is my wife, I won¡¯t let her go back to her maiden family! What do you think you think you can do to me then?

    Old General Mu and Mu YingYi asked Zi You what she had experienced in the Indian God Realm these past two years of course.

 Chapter 196 - Darong Ka and the Empressâ€™ Erotic Deal [1]

    <h4>Chapter 196 Darong Ka and the Empress¡¯ Erotic Deal [1]</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan had heard Zi You talk about it along the way. So when he heard Old General Mu and Mu YingYi ask about it, he immediately replied in dissatisfaction. ¡°Aiya! Her whatever great-grandmother goddess is old and cold-blooded! She banished her to the ckwater Pool where the God Realm punishes their disciples at. What kind of ce is ckwater Pool? It¡¯s like Hell. It¡¯s dark......¡±

    His vivid description made Old General Mu and Mu YingYi scared and distressed!

    ¡°You¡¯er, my good granddaughter......¡± Old General Mu looked affectionately at her. He finally understood why his granddaughter was so capable now. She was forced to be like this!

    Mu YingYi shook his head and looked distressed at her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your mother plead for mercy for you?¡±

    Zi You smiled sweetly and replied, ¡°Actually, my great-grandmother is a very good goddess. A sharp swordes from grinding and plum fragrancees from the bitter cold. If she didn¡¯t force me, I won¡¯t have the achievements that I have today. I am very grateful to her!¡±

    Indeed, this was something that she felt after she and Goddess Mari reconciled.

    Goddess Mari treated Zi You like how a mother tiger treats its tiger cub. The cub followed its mother to roam at night, swim, hunt, and attack from birth. It quickly learned the skills to live independently.

    Without the mother tiger¡¯s ruthlessness, how could the cub leave its mother at the age of two and go as it wishes on the mountains? A mother and child separating seemed ruthless, but it was necessary.

    Old General Mu smiled gratifyingly and nodded in praise.

    They talked about what happened after they were separated. Finally, Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui were mentioned.

    Old General Mu told Zi You apologetically, ¡°I already let your stepmother out. It looks like she¡¯s really repentant. She used her own blood to copy scriptures for me. I didn¡¯t believe it at first. But I went to the ancestral hall one day and saw her praying for you to return soon.

    ¡°When your aunt was ill, she managed the house¡¯s affairs very well. One wasted leg is enough for her to remember for a lifetime. Your father is also regretting what he did. He cried andmented several times in front of me. Ai...... If they truly repent and don¡¯t anything excessive, why would I be at odds with them? After all, blood is thicker than water!¡±

    Sure enough. Zi You secretly sneered. She never believed that a poisonous snake would change its nature to be a kind and docile sheep that wouldn¡¯t hurt people. How would that be possible?

    But this woman¡¯s tenacity and strength really made her have a whole new level of respect for her. She was really a cockroach that wouldn¡¯t die!

    However, her grandfather actually said this now. Zi You didn¡¯t have anything that could be used against them, so she couldn¡¯t say anything. She originally wanted to see if her grandfather and uncle¡¯s sachets had been switched.

    As a result, the medicinal herbs in the sachets were with the female medical team. During the march here, the female medical team had struggled with poisonous snakes and other creatures. And with the addition of rain, those medicinal herbs had long deteriorated and were discarded. Zi You had no way to check.

    She had to return. She wasn¡¯t afraid of Wang Yiping before. And she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of Wang Yiping¡¯s schemes with her current ability now.

    They dared to make a move on her loved ones. She would certainly let them wish that they were dead!

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan looked at each other with understanding gazes. Obviously, Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t believe that the two people would really repent either.

    Then they all talked about the rebellion. Nanjiang was currently ruled by the Nanzhao government. There were many ethnic groups in Nanjiang and each group was divided into a lot of tribes.

    This rebellion was started by severalrge tribes in the southwest. They relied on theirrge numbers and burned and looted several other small tribes. The people who escaped from the small tribes went to Dali to find Nanzhao King Ge Luofeng to send troops to pacify the rebellion.

    Who knew that Ge Luofeng was extremely wily and sent a letter to Xuanwu Emperor to ask him to pacify the rebellion? He had thought, <i>¡®You want to annex my Nanjiang? You have to have the ability first. You think that we¡¯re so easy to swallow? There is a price to pay for our Nanjiang to surrender.¡¯</i>

    This was why Old General Mu and Xuanwu Emperor had a dispute.

    Old General Mu had wanted the army to stay in Nanjiang and let the Nanzhao government be a puppet ruler.

    But Xuanwu Emperor had said, ¡°The situation is tooplicated. What if the army colludes with the Nanzhao government? Then wouldn¡¯t Zhen suffer losses on both sides? If they dare not obey, it¡¯s not toote to send troops to take care of them.¡±

    Bluntly speaking, Xuanwu Emperor just didn¡¯t trust Great Yan¡¯s soldiers. He was afraid that the soldiers would collude with the Nanzhao government and betray him.

    As a result, there were only forty or fifty people left in Nanjiang to set up something simr to a Great Yan embassy. It was near Lijiang and the ce where Old General Mu¡¯s 40,000 soldiers were camped.

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Grandfather, why did the Emperor only give you 40,000 troops? This is less than half of the previous two times.¡±

    Old General Mu sighed. ¡°Ai...... After receiving the news about the rebellion in Nanjiang, the Emperor summoned me into the Pce. He talked to me for a long time. He said that the Xiongnus in the north were restless. The Emperor was really worried that the north would stir up trouble if all the troops were sent to Nanjiang......¡±

    Speaking to here, Old General Mu looked at Shangguan LingRan. He was a little hesitant and thought for a while before speaking again. ¡°Especially An Wang. If he has bad intentions, then the capital will be in a dangerous situation. Wasn¡¯t he making things clear to me? He didn¡¯t want me to bring more troops to Nanjiang.

    ¡°I had no other choice and could only say, ¡®Emperor, then you should send fewer troops to Nanjiang. The safety of the capital is more important.¡¯¡±

    ¡°The Emperor immediately said, ¡°Okay. Zhen will give you 40,000 troops. They¡¯re the soldiers who you took to Mount Yunmeng for trainingst time. They must be very capable and one person can defeat two enemies. Moreover, there aren¡¯t many rebellious tribes this time and there is a good guide there. Zhen believes that you will be able to triumph soon, beloved official.¡¯¡±

    ¡°He said it like this already, so what else could I say? I could only ept the imperial edict. Now that I think about it, this matter is a bit odd. The Emperor is probably suspicious of me now. LingRan, you should quickly tell your father to be more careful.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan smiled coldly. ¡°The Emperor has never trusted anyone. If I¡¯m right, he¡¯s trying to take the military power back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very possible.¡± Mu YingYi interjected, ¡°The army in the five cities appointed a deputy general Zhao Kangwei half a year ago. He seems to be Duke Yongnan¡¯s distant cousin. He is originally a subordinate of Yuan Chengjun.¡±

    ¡°Yuan Chengjun belongs to the Empress and Taizi¡¯s camp.¡± Shangguan LingRan¡¯s phoenix eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°Does the Emperor really trust Taizi right now?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whom he trusts.¡± Zi You¡¯s eyes gleamed ruthlessly. ¡°I won¡¯t let go of anyone who harms my grandfather and uncle. Now, we should find that Darong Ka. He made the Mu army sacrifice so many brothers. And he¡¯s always been helping Taizi and the Empress to harm people. I won¡¯t let him off.

    ¡°Imperial Doctor Qin¡¯s death is rted to him and the Empress. I asked my mother about that ck and gold ring on the Empress¡¯ finger. It is the Devil Ring. Darong Ka can receive the Empress¡¯ orders immediately through the Devil Ring.

    ¡°I clearly saw the Empress touch that ring that day and Imperial Doctor Qin died soon after. Perhaps Taizi already had Darong Ka give a gu to the Emperor and is controlling him. Or perhaps Taizi used some other methods to gain the Emperor¡¯s trust.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan said mockingly, ¡°You¡¯re right. Taizi gave a beautiful woman to the Emperor on his birthday. They say that this beauty exuded a fragrance and could use her hands to dance. The Emperor had immediately praised, ¡®Her hands tremble like flowers. Her body is as gentle as the breeze.¡¯

    ¡°She took over the harem and the Emperor didn¡¯t go to morning court for three days. Taizi gave him such a wonderful beauty. How can he not trust Taizi?¡±

    A body that exuded fragrance? Zi You scoffed. Could her scent be as enticing as her five ck mandara spirits? She wanted to see how beautiful this beauty was when she returned.

    But now? They needed to first take care of Darong Ka and the tribesmen.

    But where could Darong Ka be hiding now? Did he return to the capital or was he hiding in the mountains? These jungles were terrifyinglyrge. How could it be easy to find one person?

    Zi You thought about it and said to Old General Mu, ¡°Grandfather, you and uncle should first leave here with the army. After taking some rest, I will take the opportunity to go to Nanjiang.¡±

    Old General Mu never thought that his granddaughter had such intentions. He couldn¡¯t help but say worriedly, ¡°But the Nanzhao government already signed an agreement to surrender to Great Yan. We can rush to attack Nanjiang. It¡¯s fine it we beat them, but the Emperor will certainly me us if we cannot beat them.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m worried that if we really attack Nanjiang, the Emperor will get rid of the people who were useful to him, so LingRan¡¯s father will be in a more difficult situation.¡±

    An Wang was alive because of the fear that Nanjiang would rebel. If Nanjiang really became a state or county of Great Yan, the Emperor would probably no longer keep An Wang alive.

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t think that the Emperor would be a wise monarch and spare An Wang¡¯s life because of his loyalty.

    It was good that her grandfather was no longer loyal to the Emperor. This way, Zi You¡¯s following ns would be easier to put into action.

    A gradually blooming smile appeared on Zi You¡¯s face. It was as enticing as a sea of purple and ck mandara flowers. ¡°Beating Nanjiang isn¡¯t a problem. If the Emperor wants to get rid of those useful to him, we¡¯ll have to see if he has the ability to do so.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Zi You¡¯s almost evil smile and also smiled devilishly. ¡°YouYou, I know what you¡¯re thinking. You can attack Nanjiang and leave the 30,000 soldiers here? That way, we can say that we have attacked Nanjiang, but Nanjiang will fall into our hands. The Emperor will then be uneasy and won¡¯t dare to target grandfather, right?¡±

    Zi You nced coyly at him. She nodded and said, ¡°That way, the Emperor will send his confidant deputy general here. He wille here, but he won¡¯t leave here.

    ¡°Also, when we attack Nanjiang, the hidden woulde running out. At that time, that Darong Ka will send himself to our door. I can guarantee that he didn¡¯t go back to the capital yet. How can he go back to report if he didn¡¯t obtain grandfather and uncle¡¯s heads yet?¡±

    Zi You had really guessed correctly. Darong Ka was indeed hiding in the Yuesong tribe leader¡¯s home. The reputation of this shaman wasn¡¯t undeserved. He had some abilities.

    He saw the powerful Qi that Zi You released that day and knew that things were bad. Someone more powerful than him had arrived. He flipped his magical wheel and calcted for a long time. He said to the leader Guoji Weiza, ¡°It¡¯s bad. Someone saved old man Mu and his son, but I can¡¯t tell who they are. They should be one man and one woman. Can they be the granddaughter whom old man Mu said was taken away by some expert and the expert himself?¡±

    He didn¡¯t dare to say the following words out loud: <i>¡°This is bad. I couldn¡¯t calcte who Mu Zi You was rescued by back then. After more than two years, this person¡¯s cultivation is probably higher than mine. Leader, you won¡¯t be able to be Nanjiang¡¯s King for any longer.¡±</i>

    Guoji Weiza was so angry that he anxiously stood up and mmed down on a chair. He asked incredulously, ¡°Is there someone more powerful than you, shaman?¡±

    Darong Ka didn¡¯t dare to brag right now. He was embarrassed as he replied, ¡°There is no one more powerful than me in Nanjiang. There aren¡¯t many people more powerful than me in Great Yan. Otherwise, why would Great Yan¡¯s Taizi invite me over to be a valued guest?

    ¡°But these two people....... They aren¡¯t from Nanjiang or Great Yan. They¡¯re probably foreigners, like that Dier from back then! My spirit snake that I raised for nearly a hundred years died in her hands just like that. I was depressed to death. I thought that without her here, that old man Mu and his son would die in this ¡®Land of Death.¡¯ But I didn¡¯t expect......

    ¡°s, before I came here, I guaranteed to Taizi and the Empress that I will take their lives. But now......¡±

    Darong Ka thought to here and couldn¡¯t help but be frustrated. He thought of the erotic deal between him and the Empress before he came to Nanjiang. His body couldn¡¯t help but stir.

    It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t seen more beautiful women than the Empress She Fengrong, but none had her noble temperament and intelligence.

    Taizi first introduced him to the Empress because she had a recurring illness. She Fengrong had a history of migraines. Many imperial doctors andmoner doctors couldn¡¯t cure her.

    Taizi knew that Darong Ka was lustful and didn¡¯t want to introduce him to the Empress. But after Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s death, the Empress had been very disappointed in Taizi and been indifferent to him for a very long time.

    Taizi had no other choice and finally sent Darong Ka into the Pce to cure the Empress.

    He had said to Darong Ka, ¡°I¡¯m sending you into the Pce to treat Muhou. If you can cure Muhou, I naturally won¡¯t slight you. But please remember. She is my Muhou. I don¡¯t want you to have any evil thoughts.¡±

    When Darong Ka heard that, he had sneered. What evil thoughts? As long as the thoughts could be true in this world, then they weren¡¯t ¡°evil.¡±

 Chapter 197 - Darong Ka and the Empressâ€™ Erotic Deal [2]

    <h4>Chapter 197 Darong Ka and the Empress¡¯ Erotic Deal [2]</h4>

    Darong Ka¡¯s loyalty towards Taizi was based on Taizi bing Emperor in the future and naming him a protector of the country. Then he would be below one man, but above tens of thousands of people.

    Otherwise, he wasn¡¯t stupid, so why would he give up his high position in Nanjiang to be a coward hiding in Taizi¡¯s fu all day in the capital and afraid toe out?

    When he had first seen the Empress, she had been wearing a red iid gold edged brocade coat embroidered with purple flowers and birds, a golden embroidered phoenix top, a ga embroidered dress, and a set of gold ruby phoenix essories. She was as elegant and luxurious as a blooming peony. He had fallen in love at first sight.

    Compare the women whom he had met before to this noblest woman in Great Yan was simply likeparing mud and clouds.

    A thirty-nine-year-old woman was as beautiful as a twenty-year-old woman in his Miao n. Her maturity contained a girl¡¯s charm and made his heart race.

    Of course he had tried his best to cure her migraines. He not only cured her migraines, but he also made her heart turn from a stagnant pool of water to being vivid and lively.

    During his third treatment, while he was massaging her Shenyue acupuncture point, he had said, ¡°Empress, let Nucai serve you. You will experience heaven and not feel that you have wasted this life.¡±

    The Empress wasn¡¯t reserved like before and had soon turned around to hug him.

    That time, he had made it unforgettable for the Empress and she had made him overjoyed.

    He was not just a shaman. He also had the ability of seduction. Of course he knew how to make a woman experience heavenly pleasures and be unable to leave him for a lifetime.

    Otherwise, with his appearance, how else could he mix in the circles of Nanjiang¡¯s high society? Other than his extraordinary medical skills and witchcraft, of course it was because of his seduction ability.

    He not only knew how lonely these high society women were, but he also knew how lustful these so-called dignified women were. They needed someone tofort their hearts and bodies.

    Just look at this dignified-looking Empress of the West She Fengrong and you would understand.

    On that day, it was still broad daylight. On that day, he made her cry out for death six times. She had kept shouting that she wanted him. ¡°Ah...... Don¡¯t stop...... I want it...... Ah...... You¡¯re going to kill me......¡±

    When the clouds scattered, the Empress had hugged him tightly when he was about to leave. She had said reluctantly, ¡°You¡¯re too good. I don¡¯t want you to leave. Why don¡¯t youe and serve me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He had refused at the time. ying hard to get wasn¡¯t only used by women on men, but it was also used by men on women. Only if you give it to her when she was hungry and anxious would she never forget you.

    But if She Fengrong couldn¡¯t forget him, the how could he forget the noble Great Yan¡¯s Empress? He had even finally given her the Devil Ring. That was to allow her to conveniently summon him.

    Thinking about the Devil Ring, Darong Ka¡¯s small eyes narrowed into slits. If the Devil Ring was here, he could summon all the gus. Their power could at least fight against this mysterious expert for a while.

    But now...... It was really hard to say. He might not be able to escape today.

    If he knew that this day woulde, he wouldn¡¯t have left the Devil Ring with the Empress and would have brought it here. Wouldn¡¯t ying with Mu Junyuan and Mu YingYi easy for him then? But who would have thought that it would be like this now......

    Darong Ka¡¯s worries became reality very quickly. It was so quick that he couldn¡¯t even imagine it. Old General Mu¡¯s army actually gave up the chance to pacify the rebellion in the mountains and instead attacked the Nanzhao government in Dali County.

    And they had only used one day to upy Dali, capture the King Ge Luofeng, and forced him to sign a treaty to transform Nanjiang into a county of Great Yan.

    Moreover, he had even agreed to having Great Yan troops stationed in Nanjiang.

    What ruling together? Nanzhao King was obviously just a puppet.

    Tribe leader Guoji Weijia was anxious. He said to Darong Ka, ¡°What are we going to do? Shall we take men to attack Dali? We can¡¯t let Nanjiang fall into Great Yan¡¯s hands.¡±

    Darong Ka was obviously calmer than he was. He shook his head and said, ¡°This is definitely not what Great Yan¡¯s Emperor wants. Old man Mu must be doing this in secret to take revenge on me for leading them into the swamps. Don¡¯t worry. I will send a letter to Xuanwu Emperor immediately.¡±

    But if he could think of sending a letter, how could Zi You and Shangguan LingRan not think of it? All the roads from Nanjiang to Great Yan were monitored. Even those rugged mountain paths weren¡¯t an exception. Nanjiang and Great Yan were isted from each other. Even a fly couldn¡¯t fly through.

    The roads from Nanjiang to Great Yan werepletely blocked. One couldn¡¯t enter or leave.

    Darong Ka waited eagerly for the Empress¡¯ letter. But before the letter came, the counterinsurgency army came.

    Zi You thought that Darong Ka would emerge anxiously from the mountains to seek revenge after he heard about the fall of the Nanzhao government and the upation of Dali.

    But she didn¡¯t expect that he was a coward and would refuse toe out. She caught a tribesman who went to Dali for business. She told him to bring a message back to the mountains: ¡°Tell the leader of your rebel tribe and great shaman Darong Ka: Do they think that because they are cowards who hide in the mountains and jungles and won¡¯te out, I won¡¯t be able to do anything to them? Wait for me. I will take care of them sooner orter. I sacrifice their heads to our dead soldiers.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s scolding stunned Old General Mu, Shangguan LingRan, and some senior generals.

    The senior generals of the Mu army now hated the Emperor to death. Although a subject should die when the Emperormands it, at least he needed a reason. Now, not only would they die for no reason, but they would die in a foreign country.

    A death like this was too abhorrent.

    So, when they heard Zi You say, ¡°We cannot catch that guide Darong Ka, so we cannot use the Emperor. But this Darong Ka is indeed Taizi¡¯s advisor. That is absolutely confirmed. This has to have something to do with Taizi.¡±

    The soldiers had immediately turned angry. ¡°How can such a Taizi be a country¡¯s monarch? He wants to kill us like this for no reason? What did we do to him?¡±

    ¡°If Great Yan falls into the hands of such a fatuous ruler, would we still survive? Let¡¯s overthrow them.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s send a memorial to the Emperor to abolish Taizi when we return.¡±

    ¡°This is what the Emperor wanted. If it¡¯s really the Emperor who wants our lives, we cannot be obstinate about it.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    All of the soldiers were enraged. They hated that they couldn¡¯t immediately capture Darong Ka and ask him who wanted to harm them.

    Zi You looked at how spirited the soldiers were. She immediately went to her grandfather, uncle, Shangguan LingRan, and the senior generals to discuss going into the mountains to pacify the rebellion.

    Finally, Old General Mu and second-rank General Zhang Ziheng, Zhang Wei¡¯s father, led more than 32,000 people to upy Dali.

    Zi You, Shangguan LingRan, and Mu YingYi brought only 2,000 soldiers to pacify the rebellion in the mountains.

    When Zi You had suggested bringing only 2,000 soldiers, other than Shangguan LingRan, everyone else looked stunned at Zi You and shook their heads in disagreement.

    Old General Mu had said, ¡°I know how cunning and vicious the tribesmen are. We aren¡¯t familiar with the terrain and they rely on their knowledge of the geography to often attack us by surprise. They use vile and despicable means and that¡¯s not the same as sword-fighting on a battlefield.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan shook his head and said, ¡°We want soldiers with quality and not numbers. If there¡¯s more people, YouYou and I can¡¯t take care of them.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s current identity was an expert who didn¡¯t reveal his name and did not expose his true identity.

    Zi You¡¯s thoughts coincided with him. He and Zi You¡¯s current martial arts and cultivations were sufficient to deal with an army of more than 100,000 soldiers.

    They took into ount the fact that they didn¡¯t know where the tribesmen were hiding and scattered. After they pacified them, they had to have someone there to upy the territory. So, Zi You and Shangguan LingRan decided to only take 2,000 people into the mountains.

    Besides, Zi You¡¯s spiritual Qi flowed around the 2,000 people, so that the tribesmen couldn¡¯t hurt them.

    With more people, she would have to use more spiritual power and she would have less spiritual power to fight the enemy.

    Zi You, Shangguan LingRan, and Mu YingYi then brought an army of 2,000 soldiers to quietly sneak into the mountains.

    During these past two days, Zi You and Shangguan LingRan had already flown over the mountain and found thergest tribe involved in the rebellion: Yuesong. They had sent Weishali and Xiaobai to monitor them.

    Weishali didn¡¯t let them down and soon reported, ¡°Master, I found Darong Ka. He¡¯s hiding in Yuesong tribe leader¡¯s Guoji Weiza¡¯s house.¡±

    Zi You immediately smiled confidently and proudly at Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Weishali really found Darong Ka. He¡¯s hiding in the Yuesong tribe.¡±

    Mu YingYi heard this and pulled out his Qinghong Sword and fiercely waved it. Arge camphor tree outside the tent immediately split open.

    He shouted, ¡°I will cut off that animal¡¯s head to offer it in sacrifice to the dead 4,352 soldiers.¡±

    4,412 people were originally dead. Because sixty people still had cells that were alive, they were revived by Zi You¡¯s spiritual power.

    But there would always be 4,352 soldiers who left them forever. Almost all of them were from the 20,000 people whom Mu YingYi had led.

    This was a very painful blow to Mu YingYi, a great shame, and also an eternal pain in his heart.

    So, at this moment, he hated that he couldn¡¯t slice Darong Ka with a thousand cuts to sacrifice him to the dead soldiers.

    Zi You saw that his eyes were red and her heart was extremely painful too. Four members also died from her female medical team. Two were thirteen years old and one was fourteen years old. They were young girls in budding maidenhood, but they were engulfed by the swamps and pythons.

    This debt not only had to be settled with Darong Ka, but also with Taizi, the Empress, and of course, the Emperor. Whether the Emperor knew about Taizi and the Empress¡¯ conspiracy, he still had to pay for his negligence.

    If the Emperor knew of this matter, then she couldn¡¯t let him off. If the soldiers died at the hands of the rebel army, they wouldn¡¯t feel that it was unjust. But they didn¡¯t even see one rebel before they lost their lives. Everyone felt that it was difficult to swallow this injustice.

    Feiyun, Lightning, and Weishali led the way. Zi You and the others soon passed through the mountains and jungles and arrived at the Yuesong tribe¡¯s fortress.

    Weishali told Zi You, ¡°Darong Ka already knows that you wille here, Master. Heid out the ck Wind Magic Array around the fortress. Be careful, Master.¡±

    Zi You immediately told the soldiers secretly, ¡°Groups of four spread out in four directions. Move slowly. Pay attention to the trees and the ground.¡±

    She then moved forward. After less than a quarter of an hour, Zi You waved her hand. She warned, ¡°Be careful. We¡¯re surrounded.¡±

    Poisoned arrows immediately shot towards them.

    Zi You waved. The arrows immediately turned around and shot in the opposite direction. A lot of miserable screams soon sounded.

    Shangguan LingRan immediately concentrated his spiritual power in his palm. A red cloud emerged from his palm. He waved and the red light moved. The bushes where the screams came from soon caught on fire and started burning.

    When the bushes burned, the enemies could no longer hide. They immediately exposed themselves as targets.

    Mu YingYi led hundreds of archers to wildly shoot. Their enemies were shot by the arrows.

    In their first confrontation, the Mu army was victorious. The soldiers¡¯ morale rose. For the first time since they came to Nanjiang a month ago, their frustrations finally dissipated.

    But before the soldiers were done being excited, Zi You heard rustling, hissing, and buzzing sounds.

    She immediately warned again. ¡°Be careful everyone. Poisonous bees and creatures areing over. I¡¯ll cover you with my spiritual power.¡±

    She and Shangguan LingRan exchanged nces. They immediately flew into the air.

    Shangguan LingRan looked closely at their surroundings. Zi You focused her spiritual power in her palms and formed a dome to surround the soldiers.

    Two ocean blue and purple lights rapidly expanded. They formed a beautiful big ball of light and enveloped the 2,000 soldiers inside.

 Chapter 198 - Working Together to Break the Array [1]

    <h4>Chapter 198 Working Together to Break the Array [1]</h4>

    ¡°Be careful, YouYou. I¡¯m going to set those ugly things on fire.¡± Shangguan LingRan quietly spoke to Zi You. Then he pped his palms together. Two red clouds emerged and soon turned into two fiery mes. One flew towards the poisonous beesing in the sky. One flew towards the poisonous snakes, scorpions, and other creatures on the ground.

    Hissing from something burning sounded. Then a burnt smell wafted over.

    They watched as the poisonous bees fall. The originally neatly lined poisonous snakes, scorpions, and insects began to flee every which way on the ground.

    However, other than somerge snakes that quickly slithered away, most of the poisonous creatures were burned to death.

    The Mu army was also victorious in their second confrontation.

    Darong Ka was originally still boasting to Guoji Weiza. ¡°You can rest assured this time. Those are spiritual poisonous creatures. As long as I keep chanting, they will keep on attacking. If they can¡¯t bite those Hans, then they will scare them to death.¡±

    He was correct on this point. The 2,000 soldiers in the Mu army were indeed scared with numb scalps when they saw so many dense rows of poisonous creatures.

    But they were soon protected by spiritual Qi. Then they saw the poisonous creatures burned to death. They weren¡¯t scared anymore, but were happy instead. They were pleasantly surprised!

    Those poisonous creatures did have spirituality. However, at this time, they were first attacked by Zi You¡¯s spiritual power. Then they were burned by Shangguan LingRan¡¯s fire until their souls scattered. So, could they still follow Darong Ka¡¯smands? They desperately tried to escape and bit everyone, regardless of who it was.

    More than twenty tribesmen were bitten to death. Those poisonous snakes especially, were burned until they went crazy. They bit people crazily and desperately injected their venom.

    Darong Ka was still boasting until his spit flew and sprayed onto Guoji Weiza¡¯s face.

    At this time, Guoji Weiza¡¯s servant ran inside and shouted anxiously, ¡°This is bad, Leader! Those poisonous creatures were burned to death, but they also bit our people.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Darong Ka and Guoji Weiza both jumped up like their buttocks were on fire.

    Darong Ka was ashen as he shook his head. ¡°Impossible! I don¡¯t believe it. My poisonous creatures!¡±

    He had to expend a lot of effort to train so many creatures. Did you think that it was easy? But all of them were dead now!

    ¡°You ¨C You big liar!¡± Guoji Weiza red angrily at him.

    Darong Ka didn¡¯t send out one soldier and instigated him to stage a rebellion. If there were any casualties, they were his tribesmen, family, and guards.

    The two people went out anxiously. They saw five or six poisonous snakes, which had been burned until blood and flesh were showing, slither inside. They red at the men, as if they were denouncing them for their crimes. ¡°F*ck! You two are hiding here and make us fight for you. Can you see it? Can you see our miserable states from being burned?¡±

    The snakes stared at them. Darong Ka was fine. After all, he often interacted with these poisonous creatures.

    However, although Guoji Weiza often saw these creatures, he would either kill them or avoid them. He was really afraid of these poisonous creatures.

    Now that the snakes were staring at him, he felt his goosebumps rise! He hid behind Darong Ka. ¡°Get them outside. This is too......¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when the snakes rushed over.

    This time, not only Guoji Weiza, but even Darong Ka was scared into his soul scattered. He was a shaman, so of course he knew how strong a snake¡¯s desire for vengeance was. These snakes obviously hated him and wanted to bite him!

    Guoji Weiza was scared and used Darong Ka as a shield to block the poisonous snakes. Darong Ka still had some ability. He pulled out some powder. The few snakes screamed miserably and eventually stopped moving.

    This scene scared Guoji Weiza into anger. His liver trembled from his anger. He pointed to Darong Ka and scolded, ¡°You big liar! I listened to you and invaded the tribes to provoke a war. Didn¡¯t you say that you want to help me ascend to the King¡¯s throne? Didn¡¯t you say that Great Yan¡¯s Taizi and Empress said that they would get rid of our annual tribute to Great Yan as long as I am the King? Didn¡¯t you say that you can withstand Great Yan¡¯s army?

    ¡°Look at the situation now. Great Yan¡¯s army is here, but you are useless. You liar. I¡¯m going to expose your lying face to everyone in Nanjiang.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Darong Ka was angry at him calling him a ¡°liar¡± again and again His small eyes widened. ¡°What are you anxious for? Isn¡¯t there still the ck Wind Magic Array waiting for them? They won¡¯t be able to break the array.¡±

    As soon as Guoji Weiza heard him say ¡°ck Wind Magic Array,¡± he immediately sat back down in his chair. Huh. The great shaman was proficient in all sorts of divination and magic techniques. Those Han people certainly could not break the shaman¡¯s magical illusionary array.

    The Great Yan army won the previous two times because they had the help of that foreign woman Dier. As a result, they lost very miserably and had no choice but to capitte.

    Now...... Darong Ka said that that Dier was dead. Her daughter wasing here, but how old was she? The great shaman had cultivated for so many years. So how could he be afraid of a silly little girl?

    Darong Ka¡¯s ck Wind Magic Array was really extraordinary! It was the array that Darong Ka was the proudest of. Once the mechanism was triggered, countless ck winds would blow from all sides, bringing with them strange screams and flying sand and branches. It was very terrifying.

    And constant illusions of ghosts, demons, beautiful women, and animals would appear. True or false. Real or fake. If it looked fake, it would sometimes be real. If it looked real, it would sometimes be fake. The people who were trapped in the array would be nervous and delirious from these illusions.

    Other than the traps in the array, there were other elemental and divinatory trigram techniques. This towering creation was very vicious! All righteous gentlemen despised it.

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan looked at it and turned solemn.

    Zi You immediately said to her uncle, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m going to break the array. You and LingRan wait here. If I don¡¯t get out in six hours, you withdraw to Dali. Find a way to get Weishali to India and bring my great-grandmother here to save me.¡±

    ¡°I forbid it!¡± Shangguan LingRan looked overbearingly at Zi You and roared. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about going alone to break the array. No matter what, I will be with you.¡±

    ¡°LingRan.¡± Zi You softly persuaded, ¡°I want you to protect grandfather and uncle. Besides, if something happens to me, I still need you to avenge me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this again.¡± Shangguan LingRan was really angry this time. ¡°Why is it that you have to rush in the front every time? Why do I have to protect grandfather and uncle? Can protecting them rece you? And have you ever thought about how I will feel if I lose you? It would be better if I die then. Do you understand?¡±

    Zi You was suddenly stunned silly! She looked stunned at the angry Shangguan LingRan. His angry expression and the pain in his phoenix eyes couldn¡¯t be fake.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think of the assassination attempt in the mountains. Swords shed and stabbed again and again, but they were blocked each time by Shangguan LingRan. If he couldn¡¯t block it, then he would use his body to block for her. He rather get sliced and stabbed, but wouldn¡¯t let her get hurt......

    Zi You¡¯s heart was stifled. In her previous life, she had fantasized about a man to only trust and respect her. She had never dared to expect that someone would be wholehearted towards her.

    In this life, she had originally nned to be alone for a lifetime, but she didn¡¯t expect that she would meet Shangguan LingRan. And he not only loved her wholeheartedly, but he also treated her more importantly than his life.

    All sorts of feelings welled up in Zi You¡¯s heart! Fortunately, she did not push Shangguan LingRan away and was together with him instead.

    Zi You looked deeply at Shangguan LingRan. For the first time, she clearly expressed her feelings. ¡°LingRan, I know that you¡¯re worried about me and don¡¯t want me to get hurt. But whether it is now or after I marry you in the future, I am destined to be in a dangerous storm.

    ¡°How can I not be able to withstand wind, frost, rain, and snow if I am in such a position? I should not be afraid and should brave the dangers. I will find a path of survival where the wind and waves are the strongest.

    ¡°Trust me. I am not a flower in a greenhouse. I can cope with all sorts of difficulties and dangers, but I really, really cherish my life. That¡¯s because I know that if I¡¯m hurt or dead, you, grandfather, and uncle will wish that you are dead. I¡¯m not stupid enough to let myself leave you all.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan froze. He was suddenly speechless.

    Indeed, YouYou was never a flower in a greenhouse. She was not only intelligent, but she had outstanding ability to defeat all her enemies. But...... But he wished that she could live a life in peace and joy without using her abilities. He hoped that he could block all the wind, frost, snow, and rain for her, so that she could live in a greenhouse without being harmed by the outside world.

    He hoped that the girl whom he liked didn¡¯t need to work hard to use her intelligence and spiritual power, but could still smile wholeheartedly and rely naively and innocently on him, like how other girls rely on their husbands......

    However, he looked into Zi You¡¯s firm and calm eyes and listened to her gentle and decisive words. Different emotions surged in his heart.

    Perhaps he was wrong...... Zi You was never a canary in a golden cage. She would never passively wait for people¡¯s charity, mercy, protection, or understanding. She was intelligent and keen and had insight. She used her own ability to ovee all sorts of difficulties and obstacles. No matter how bad the situation was, she would do her best to fight and never give up.

    Perhaps only an extraordinary Zi You like this could move him.

    That was because he and she were both struggling. They used their own intelligence and strength to carve open a path for themselves without giving up! The process was bitter. Every step that they took was full of sweat and tears, but it was also bittersweet because they seeded on their own. Although their hardships were arduous, they had faith that they could carve out a future for themselves and work towards a beautiful future.

    People said that ¡®It was dangerous to look for riches and honor.¡¯ Actually, it wasn¡¯t only wealth. There were a lot of things to fight for, such as freedom, security, and survival.

    ¡°I want to protect my loved ones and myself. In order to live happily and for a long time in the future, I have to face these dangers!¡± Zi You lightly smiled. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, then we¡¯ll do everything together, not as allies, but as lovers!¡±

    Zi You had never explicitly said to him that she would marry him and face everything with him.

    Even though he knew that Zi You had epted him, it was still different for her to say it out loud to him.

    Shangguan LingRan was ecstatic! He couldn¡¯t suppress his smile. His magnificent phoenix eyes were brighter than the stars. He went over and rubbed her head. He spoke with 10% me and 90% doting and love. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I know that you can do it, but you should let your husband, me, have some self-esteem, so that I know that you depend on me.¡±

    Because Mu YingYi was there, Zi You was embarrassed and pushed Shangguan LingRan away. She stomped her feet bashfully. ¡°Hateful! You always want an inch after taking a mile.¡±

    Mu YingYi was very gratified to see them arguing and reconciling in the blink of an eye. ¡°You¡¯er, LingRan is right. You can¡¯t take on all the danger yourself. Also, you have to discuss things together. You can¡¯t act alone. That is very unfair to LingRan.¡±

    Zi You nodded. She looked at the men and said, ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want you to be in danger. I¡¯m not sure that I can break the ck Wind Magic Array. If I let hime with me, if something happens to him, I......¡±

    ¡°Why do you have no confidence in your future husband?¡± Shangguan LingRan knew that Zi You was worried about his safety, but his heart still surged with sweetness when he heard her say it out loud.

    He went over and held Zi You¡¯s hand. He said affectionately and domineeringly, ¡°Follow behind me this time and watch me break the array. I don¡¯t believe that a tiny ck Wind Magic Array will block our way. Take a break first and restore your spiritual power. I will break the array with you.¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t object this time. She nodded. She was as well-behaved as a kitten as she listened to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s arrangements.

    She had been using her spiritual power nonstop. Her spiritual power had indeed gradually weakened. Shangguan LingRan was clearly thinking about her safety. He wanted her to use her peak physical state to break the array.

    The two of them had a full meal and cultivated for a while. They also regained some energy and stood up holding hands.

    Zi You pretended to smile easily at Mu YingYi. ¡°Wait for me toe back, uncle.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t have his usual devilishly charming smile, but he was still so handsome and cool that it would cause outrage.

 Chapter 199 - Working Together to Break the Array [2]

    <h4>Chapter 199 Working Together to Break the Array [2]</h4>

    Shangguan LingRan said solemnly to Mu YingYi, ¡°Uncle, I already called my shixiong and martial nephews here. Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t get out. Withdraw to Dali and make a decision after discussing it with my shixiong. Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be any life-threatening danger even if we are trapped inside. I will take good care of YouYou.¡±

    Thest sentence was a promise. Mu YingYi looked into his decisive eyes that held no cowardice and were full of confidence.

    So, he gently punched him on the shoulder. ¡°Take care! I still want to see you two get married and have children and be a great-uncle.¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± Shangguan LingRan clearly liked hearing what he said. A smile that was as dazzling as the sun breaking out of clouds appeared on his face. ¡°Uncle, you will definitely be a great-uncle.¡±

    Then he looked gently at Zi You. As if they were going on an outing, he asked, ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Zi You answered softly, like a little wife.

    They put on the homemade anti-poison masks that Zi You had made. They walked hand in hand leisurely into the ck Wind Magic Array.

    Once inside, a stench wafted over. Fortunately, they had on masks and consumed anti-poison pills. Otherwise, they would have copsed. That was toxic gas.

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan looked at each other. They had the same thought and went towards the array again. As long as they found the secret mechanism and destroyed it, this array would be like a person without a head and would naturally be useless.

    But how could it be easy to find the secret mechanism? They walked for less than a quarter of an hour before ck wind mixed with flying sand, stone, and branches of various sizes flew towards them.

    They both took action. They moved forward while flicking those things to the side.

    They had just passed the first level. Then little phantoms with green faces and fangs rushed towards them.

    Zi You told Shangguan LingRan, ¡°They should be illusions, but there may be actual humans mixed in with them. Close your eyes and don¡¯t be confused by the illusions. Listen for my signal.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan smiled wickedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, YouYou. This little ability can¡¯t scare your husband.¡±

    Zi You was correct. These phantoms were mostly illusions. If they fought desperately with the illusions, they would be tired. Then they didn¡¯t even need to think about breaking the uing array.

    So, they not only needed to have sharp eyes that could identify what was true and what was false, but they also needed to be quick to deal with the real humans¡¯ sudden attacks.

    There were countless phantoms on this level. They killed sixteen people dressed as phantoms and sessfully passed this second level.

    The third level was beauties and beasts. Beautiful women and all sorts of strange beasts rushed towards them amidst exotic music.

    The beauties made a variety of dirty actions to seduce Shangguan LingRan.

    Shangguan LingRan smiled mockingly. He mercilessly pulled out his Silver Moon Hook and chopped them in half.

    Zi You looked at those voluptuous and seductive women. She wasn¡¯t worried about Shangguan LingRan at all.

    The women in the array were mostly Nanjiang women. Although they weren¡¯t ugly, they were iparable to the five ck mandara spirits.

    The five spirits had wanted to test if Shangguan LingRan was wholehearted and loyal towards Zi You. They had transformed into Zi You¡¯s appearance and tried to seduce Shangguan LingRan several times. He saw through them all and had rejected them all.

    Shuiling had transformed into Zi You and went over to Shangguan LingRan. Shangguan LingRan had sneered. ¡°Scram! Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re YouYou¡¯s spirit, I won¡¯t kill you.¡±

    Shuiling had asked in surprise, ¡°How do you know that I am not Master?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too seductive.¡± Shangguan LingRan had coldly mocked, ¡°My YouYou won¡¯t walk like you nor show that expression.¡±

    Shuiling had twisted her hips too much and her eyes were too flirtatious. YouYou wasn¡¯t engaged to him yet, so she was extremely bashful whenever they had any intimate contact. So how could YouYou look as frivolous as Shuiling did?

    It was Tuling¡¯s turn the next time. She was the smallest spirit and very exquisite. Her eyes were clear and lively. She looked like a real spirit.

    She had innocently leaned close to Shangguan LingRan and attempted to kiss him when he wasn¡¯t paying attention......

    Shangguan LingRan had quickly moved and used his fan to block Tuling¡¯s attack. He had angrily pped Tuling twice with his fan and coldly warned, ¡°You¡¯re seeking death! If you dare to be presumptuous again, I will use my fire to burn you.¡±

    Tuling was aggrieved as she let Zi You look at the p print on her face. ¡°Master, you husband doesn¡¯t know how to have tender feelings for the opposite s e x.¡±

    Zi You shook her head at the five spirits. ¡°Don¡¯t look for trouble. I trust him. You don¡¯t have to doubt him.¡±

    Jinling said, ¡°This is a task the goddess assigned to us. We have toplete the task.¡±

    Muling then made a move. She had drugged Shangguan LingRan. Then she transformed into Zi You and pounced over.

    ¡°Get out!¡± She had just walked over to Shangguan LingRan, when his Fire Cloud Palm struck. ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me. YouYou won¡¯t do something like this.¡±

    The fire almost burned Muling. She had angrily run back to tell Jinling, ¡°My hair was almost on fire. I¡¯m so angry! There¡¯s something wrong with Master¡¯s husband.¡±

    Finally, it was the oldest Jinling¡¯s turn. Jinling was the one who looked like Zi You the most out of the five spirits. Both their appearances and temperaments were very simr. Most people couldn¡¯t tell the difference.

    However, she had just sat down in front of Shangguan LingRan when he bluntly scolded, ¡°Are you done ying around? Scram for this Ye. You¡¯re not YouYou. YouYou¡¯s scent isn¡¯t this rich. She smells fresh and elegant. She smells much better than you.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s scent was different from everyone else¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t a powder or floral scent. It was her own faint unique and elegant scent. It was very refreshing after someone smelled it.

    Shangguan LingRan could tell from the scent alone that the person wasn¡¯t Zi You.

    Zi Youter apologized to him. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. My great-grandmother probably doesn¡¯t trust you yet. She asked them to test you. I tried to stop them, but they didn¡¯t listen.¡±

    Actually, if she was really angry, the five spirits would certainly obey her. However, she had been miserably deceived by Zhao HongXiang in her previous life. She was still a bit distrustful towards men more or less. She also wanted to see if Shangguan LingRan would be faithful to her.

    So, she hadn¡¯t tried too hard to stop them. The five spirits were of the same mind as her, so how could they not know what she was really thinking?

    They had tested Shangguan LingRan and were very satisfied. They were very certain of Shangguan LingRan now.

    Shangguan LingRan struck ruthlessly. He cut twenty-four beauties and a tiger.

    Zi You killed two wild boars, a leopard, and five jackals.

    The third level was swamps. It was different from the swamps that Old General Mu and Mu YingYi had encountered. There were real swamps and fake swamps here. You didn¡¯t know where there was a real quagmire or where there were deadly traps. Zi You threw a stone into a swampy area. Dozens of poisoned arrows immediately flew.

    Shangguan LingRan moved Zi You behind him. He was leisurely as he waved his fan and swept all the arrows away.

    He then looked around carefully. He pulled her and said, ¡°I know where the traps are and where the array is. There are no swamps here. Follow me.¡±

    Zi You nodded and didn¡¯t use her spiritual power. She followed Shangguan LingRan and let him resolve all of the obstacles.

    In the eerie, horrifying, and deadly ck Wind Magic Array, Zi You¡¯s heart was sweet and joyful.

    That was because there was a man like a mountain in front of her. That was because this man held her hand tightly and never let go!

    Shangguan LingRan wrapped an arm around her waist and leaped into the sky. His feet quickly swept across the quagmires and soon flew across the illusionary swamps.

    They then faced two strange and scary snakes with horns and were as thick as a barrel.

    The snakes kept spraying out ck venom. Their eerie eyes looked at the two people like they were looking at prey already in their mouths.

    Shangguan LingRan had a creepy feeling. He asked in surprise, ¡°What are these? They don¡¯t look like snakes or dragons. Are they monsters?¡±

    Zi You nodded. ¡°They should be beasts that Darong Ka bred. We¡¯ll attack them together.¡±

    She finished speaking and the two snakes¡¯ tails swept over like whips.

    Shangguan LingRan and Zi You jumped into the air. The two snakes suddenly rose and rushed towards them while spraying venom.

    Although they were thick, they were very flexible and not clumsy at all.

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan jumped again andnded behind the two snakes. Zi You shot out a Three Bone Nail and her Flying Blood Ring towards one of the strange snake¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ow, ow......¡± The Three Bone Nail stabbed into flesh. The two snakes¡¯ tails swept crazily around in pain. Their actions were slower now. One of the strange snake¡¯s horned head was hit by the Flying Blood Ring. Blood spattered everywhere.

    But this monster had thick skin. The Flying Blood Ring actually didn¡¯t decapitate it, but it was clearly injured. Snake blood spattered and the Flying Blood Ring was like a cor between the strange snake¡¯s head and neck. Zi You pulled on her iron chain. The des stabbed an inch deeper.

    The strange snake was crazy from the pain of its flesh being cut. It writhed its body desperately.

    The other snake saw this and endured the pain of the Three Bone Nail in its flesh. It once again writhed and rushed over.

    Shangguan LingRan moved Zi You behind him before releasing her. His palm sprayed out fire towards the snake.

    But the snake was too big. The power of a single palm wasn¡¯t enough.

    The snake saw the fire and retreated in fear. Zi You took the opportunity to concentrate her spiritual power in her hands. She shifted from being behind Shangguan LingRan to being in front of him. She released one purple beam of light and one blue beam of light towards the strange snake.

    ¡°Ow, ow......¡± The fire spread down the snake¡¯s head and soon burned its whole body.

    The pain from the fire made it cry out strangely. Its body swept around nonstop as it tried to put out the fire.

 Chapter 200 - Capturing Darong Ka, The Truth Infuriates Everyone

    <h4>Chapter 200 Capturing Darong Ka, The Truth Infuriates Everyone</h4>

    The pain from the fire made the snake cry out strangely. Its body swept around nonstop as it tried to put out the fire.

    It collided with the other snake that was wildly shaking its head to get rid of the Flying Blood Ring. The other snake instantly caught on fire and burned.

    The two snakes¡¯rge bodies crazily swept around and emitted power that could topple the mountains and overturn the seas.

    Shangguan LingRan held Zi You¡¯s hand tightly again. He pulled her to avoid the snakes¡¯ crazy and indiscriminating sweeping and smashing.

    After two quarters of an hour, the snakes gradually weakened. They were finally paralyzed and didn¡¯t struggle anymore. A burnt smell wafted in the air.

    Shangguan LingRan and Zi You released sighs of relief. They were covered in sweat. These two strange snakes were really terrifying! Zi You and Shangguan LingRan had never seen suchrge and terrifying snakes in ckwater Pool and in Mount Emei before.

    After they passed the fourth level, they walked less than a quarter of an hour again before they saw sixteen men holding different parts of the mechanism.

    The sixteen people obviously did not expect Zi You and Shangguan LingRan to pass the four levels so quickly. When they saw them here, they were scared into quickly assuming a formation. These sixteen people¡¯s martial arts were the highest among their tribesmen, but they were apparently not on the same level as Zi You and Shangguan LingRan. They were soon killed.

    Once they died, ck Wind Magic Array was naturally broken. An area of grass and trees appeared in front of Mu YingYi and the soldiers.

    ¡°The ck Wind Magic Array is broken!¡± Mu YingYi and the soldiers shouted joyfully. Xiaojie and her Shifu only took three hours to break the ck Wind Magic Array.

    Darong Ka and Guoji Weiza were anxious. Guoji Weiza was praying. Darong Ka was staring intently at his magical wheel. He didn¡¯t even dare to blink his rat eyes once.

    He looked at the magical wheel turning slower and slower before finally stopping. He shouted, ¡°It¡¯s over! Run, Leader! They broke the ck Wind Magic Array.¡±

    Guoji Weiza trembled in fear. He widened his eyes and howled, ¡°Run......¡±

    The Yuesong tribe¡¯s fortress was instantly chaotic. It was not going overboard to describe the scene as chickens flying and dogs jumping.

    But they soon discovered that no matter which direction they rushed in, there was a invisible wall in front of them that exuded bursts of heat and stopped them. Those who weren¡¯t afraid of death rushed forwards. They instantly became roasted pigs.

    Soon, Darong Ka discovered that the situation wasn¡¯t quite right. He was anxious and used his magic. However, the magic which had saved him countless times before failed him this time. No matter how he casted spells, he couldn¡¯t rush out of the invisible fire.

    Just as his forehead was covered in sweat, he heard a voice as beautiful as a warbler flying out of a valley. The voice mocked, ¡°Darong Ka, you should surrender now. Your spells won¡¯t work.¡±

    Darong Ka turned back. He instantly stared in amazement! The girl in front of him wore a ck and red embroidered cloud brocade riding outfit. She wore small ck shoes strung with flowers and red beads. Her ck hair was woven into five braids. Multicolored strands of pearls were on top. She had a braided bun in the back. She was stunning, noble, elegant, and refined. She was 70% simr to that woman Dier. But this girl¡¯s skin was clearly different from Dier¡¯s. Her skin was white and smooth, like a freshly peeled egg. Her facial features were also softer.

    ¡°Are you Dier¡¯s daughter?¡± Darong Ka looked at Zi You as if he was looking at an enemy who killed his father.

    Zi You smiledzily. She proudly said, ¡°Yes. I am my mother¡¯s daughter. It seems that you were defeated by my mother. That¡¯s why you took refuge with Taizi to wait for a chance to take revenge, right? But you didn¡¯t think that you would be defeated by Dier¡¯s daughter, right? This is called good will always triumph over evil!¡±

    ¡°What evil? What good?¡± Darong Ka was unreconciled and eximed, ¡°You Han people have a saying. ¡®The winner is King. The loser is a bandit.¡¯ If you win, then you¡¯re naturally good......¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish speaking before he suddenly struck. He threw a poisonous gu at Zi You.

    Zi You sneered in despise. She waved her hand. A purple me immediately burned the gu into ash.

    Zi You smiled very dazzlingly. ¡°Since you like giving people gu so much, I¡¯ll let you experience the taste of a gu.¡±

    Zi You waved her hand. Huoling, who had transformed into a human, went over to Darong Ka. She smiled as enchantingly as the sun. ¡°Since you like ying with snakes, then this spirit will let you experience it.¡±

    She reached out and pinched Darong Ka¡¯s chin. A small colorful snake as thin as a noodle entered Darong Ka¡¯s mouth. By the time he reacted, the small snake had entered his stomach already.

    Darong Ka was scared out of his wits. He gave gus to people all the time, so of course he knew how powerful a gu was, especially that colorful and live snake gu that this beautiful girl had put into his mouth. Its toxicity and spirituality must be more powerful than an ordinary gu.

    He hadn¡¯t finished thinking when he felt his stomach hurt. Darong Ka immediately howled, ¡°Spare me, Mu Xiaojie. Spare me......¡±

    Zi You looked contemptuously at him. She saidzily, ¡°Okay. But you have to listen and make me happy. Otherwise......¡±

    ¡°I will...... cooperate......¡± In a short period of time, Darong Ka was already in so much pain that his internal organs must have shifted. Cold sweat poured out of his body.

    Mu YingYi suddenly felt hatred! He immediately said to Zi You, ¡°You can¡¯t spare him, You¡¯er. We have to slice him to pieces for the fallen soldiers killed by him!¡±

    Darong Ka was so anxious that he almost jumped up. Unfortunately, his stomach was in so much pain that he was on hisst breath, so he couldn¡¯t jump up.

    His lips trembled as he begged Zi You. ¡°Don¡¯t...... Don¡¯t kill me. It¡¯s...... the Empress and Taizi¡¯s n. It¡¯s not...... It¡¯s not my fault.¡±

    What a coward! Zi You waved her hand. ¡°Lock him up and bring him back to Dali.¡±

    The trial of Darong Ka should be held in front of Nanzhao King Ge Luofeng and his officials, as well as the 30,000 soldiers.

    Zi You wanted to let these people clearly see the Emperor, the Empress, and Taizi¡¯s sinister intentions and hypocritical appearances.

    ¡°Taizi and the Empress made me do it. The Empress and Taizi wanted me to instigate somerge tribes to rebel. The Emperor would certainly send Old General Mu and his son to pacify the rebellion. I served as a guide and led the Mu army in the Land of Death to kill them. Then I was supposed to support Guoji Weiza into the position of Nanjiang King. That way, the power of the Nanjiang army and the Mu army wouldpletely fall into Taizi and the Empress¡¯ hands.¡±

    Darong Ka¡¯s words aroused everyone¡¯s indignation.

    When he heard this, Old General Mu was so angry that he trembled all over. Although he had thought that this whole thing might be a conspiracy, he still found it hard to ept now that he heard it from Darong Ka.

    40,000 people! He couldn¡¯t understand how these people could ignore the life and death of 40,000 people for their own desires. Old General Mu couldn¡¯t help but be tearful and me himself when he thought of the dead 4,000-plus soldiers!

    If he had used his brain and discovered that this was a conspiracy, then those soldiers wouldn¡¯t have died. They wouldn¡¯t have died!

    Mu YingYi angrily pped a palm down on a table. The table shattered into pieces. ¡°Does the Emperor know about Taizi and the Empress¡¯s n?¡±

    Darong Ka was scare into shivering. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. ¡°The Emperor probably doesn¡¯t know about Taizi and the Empress¡¯ conspiracy. But it is true that the Emperor wants to take away Old General Mu¡¯s military power.

    ¡°That is because the Emperor¡¯s beloved consort Wu Jieyu is fourth-rank Qingzhou prefectural magistrate¡¯s adopted daughter. The Emperor wants to promote Wu Jieyu into a Fei, but her identity is too low. So the Emperor wants to give the Mu army to Wu Jieyu¡¯s adopted father. That way, Wu Jieyu can be a Fei and the Emperor can firmly grasp the military power.

    ¡°However, the Emperor does not know that Wu Jieyu and her adopted father are in Taizi and the Empress¡¯ camp.¡±

    The soldiers were in an uproar. Someone directly shouted, ¡°Tyrannical and fatuous ruler! Let¡¯s not sacrifice ourselves for him.¡±

    ¡°The fatuous ruler is shameless! The Empress and Taizi are unvirtuous! Kill them.¡±

    ¡°Kill them! Kill them......¡±

    Zi You waved and stopped their noise. ¡°Soldiers, calm down first. Let Darong Ka finish. We can¡¯t wrongly use the Emperor. The Empress and Taizi, right? Why would they tell such a secret matter to a mere servant?¡±

    Zi You then sneered at Darong Ka and mocked, ¡°Darong Ka, don¡¯t think that you can escape death by pushing all the me on the Emperor, the Empress, and Taizi. You have to have evidence to prove that you were just following orders. Otherwise, I will think that you wanted to take revenge on me and my grandfather. You said it too. My mother killed your father.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Darong Ka quickly exined, ¡°My father was angered to death because your mother killed the two spirit snakes that he raised. He wasn¡¯t killed at your mother¡¯s hands. It¡¯s true that I hate your mother. I also want to take revenge. That¡¯s why I went to the capital and willingly became Taizi¡¯s advisor.

    ¡°However, if I didn¡¯t have Taizi and the Empress¡¯ orders, how would I dare to attack Old General Mu? It¡¯s not just this time. I was ordered by the Empress to cause those heavy storms that time you were having military training on Mount Yunmeng.¡±

    Darong Ka was afraid that Zi You wouldn¡¯t believe him. He gritted his teeth and continued, ¡°I can obtain the Empress¡¯ trust not because I know magic. But because I am...... I am the Empress¡¯ lover.¡±

    Zi You mocked and intimidated Darong Ka. And Darong Ka did indeed be scared and angry.

    He groped around his neck for a long time and finally pulled out a woman¡¯s undergarment. It was bright yellow with a red embroidered phoenix and peony and a gold chain.

    Perhaps he thought that it was shameful for a man to wear a woman¡¯s undergarment because Darong Ka¡¯s bronzed face turned purple.

    He was a bit embarrassed and a bit unreconciled as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on people. I¡¯m ugly, but I know a seduction technique. I know how to please women more than your Emperor. This undergarment is the love token that the Empress gave me and I gave her the Devil Ring.¡±

    The soldiers were in an uproar once again. They scolded one after another.

    ¡°Shameless......¡±

    ¡°Sl*t. Wh*re. She should be paraded and put to death......¡±

    Zi You waved her hand and ordered, ¡°Take him away.¡±

    Then she turned to her grandfather and asked in concern, ¡°Grandfather, are you okay? Do you want to talk to the soldiers?¡±

    Old General Mu nodded and stood up. He looked aggrieved and indignantly at the soldiers. ¡°Fellow soldiers, I, Mu Junyuan, have lived an honest life. I am loyal to Great Yan and the Emperor. My Mu family¡¯s army is also wholeheartedly loyal to the government. We are even willing to put our lives at risk.

    ¡°But what did we get in return? It¡¯s murder. 4,325 soldiers! They didn¡¯t die in the hands of the enemy. But they were killed by our country¡¯s own Emperor, Empress, and Taizi.......¡±

    Old General Mu tearfully hammered his chest. ¡°My heart hurts...... What should I tell their parents? How should I avenge them......?¡±

    ¡°Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!......¡± More than 30,000 soldiers stood up together. They were boiling with excitement. Their surging anger and hatred made their blood boil!

    Mu YingYi knelt down in front of Old General Mu. He shouted sorrowfully, ¡°Father, we can¡¯t be yed by other people like monkeys. We are men in vain if we don¡¯t seek vengeance!¡±

    ¡°We are men in vain if we don¡¯t see vengeance!¡± The soldiers shouted along with Mu YingYi.

    It was the same for third-rank Wu Yonghui. He sobbed, ¡°Old General Mu, if the incapable ruler and demoness Empress don¡¯t die, how can we...... face our brothers and sisters? My son...... is only twenty-three years old. His wife...... just gave birth. My son...... left just like that. Are our...... loved ones not human then?¡±

    His sobs echoed. A man¡¯s grief and heartbreak resonated more with people.

    Sad cries sounded. At this moment, even the officials in Nanjiang¡¯s Nanzhao government bowed their heads.

    Zi You stood up and wiped her tears. She said firmly and strongly, ¡°Comrades, don¡¯t cry. We have to turn our grief into strength and seek revenge for our brothers and sisters who died in vain!¡±

    ¡°Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!¡± The orderly and angry cries shook Shangguan LingRan and Old General Mu¡¯s hearts.

 Chapter 201 - Extremely Wealthy Maternal Grandfather (Waigong) Shows Up

    <h4>Chapter 201 Extremely Wealthy Maternal Grandfather (Waigong) Shows Up</h4>

    After Darong Ka¡¯s trial ended, Old General Mu said to Nanzhao King and the officials, ¡°You heard Darong Ka¡¯s confession. I invaded your Nanjiang because there were no other choices. You saw it too. If you weren¡¯t destroyed in my hands, you would be destroyed in Guoji Weiza and Great Yan¡¯s Empress and Taizi¡¯s hands. You will only die if yound in their hands. If you listen to us, you can still live in glory and wealth.¡±

    Nanzhao King nodded helplessly. He thought, ¡®Would we dare to not obey? Your army already captured all of us. We can¡¯t beat you, so we can only be obedient, right?¡¯

    As he nodded, he looked frightened at Zi You and Shangguan LingRan. What sacred beings are these? Our soldiers¡¯ swords easily broke like matches in their hands.

    Poisoned arrows that were shot at them actually turned around and shot back at our soldiers when these two waved their hands. They¡¯re obviously much more powerful than Darong Ka.

    Even Darong Ka surrendered. Would we dare not to?

    After Nanzhao government surrendered, Old General Mu gathered all the officers and spoke about his, Zi You, Mu YingYi, and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s n. ¡°30,000 soldiers cannot be used by the fatuous ruler. So, I n to leave you all here in Nanjiang.¡±

    Zhang Wei was instantly anxious. ¡°But my mother and other rtives are in the capital. Will the fatuous ruler take them as hostages?¡±

    Zi You nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very possible. But don¡¯t worry. My grandfather and uncle will return to the capital. Plus, your families are in the capital, so even if the fatuous ruler is suspicious, he won¡¯t dare to make a move.

    ¡°If he really dares to take action, I will not stand idly by. Don¡¯t worry. I will do my best to protect your families. I will find a way to block all the from news here. Let the fatuous ruler sit in fear and trepidation on his dragon throne from now on.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t Old General Mu and Young General be in danger if they go back?¡± Xue Zichao asked in worry.

    ¡°There will be danger, but it will lull them into a false sense of security.¡± Zi You replied, ¡°I¡¯ll have Shifu disguise as my grandfather and return to the capital with me. Grandfather will stay in Nanjiang with you all. I¡¯m worried because we just upied this territory.¡±

    Old General Mu looked appreciatively at Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, You¡¯er. Your Shifu¡¯s n should work.¡±

    ¡°What n?¡± Zhang Wei¡¯s father, Zhang Ziheng, asked.

    Shangguan LingRan smiled confidently. ¡°Since ancient times, ¡®Those who get the hearts of the people will obtain the world.¡¯ very is permitted in the Nanzhao government. The citizens are enved by the nobles like animals. It¡¯s not possible that they¡¯re not resentful. If we abolish very, would the citizens still support Nanzhao government?¡±

    ¡°Master is right.¡± Zi You exined, ¡°Most people just want to live a good life. They don¡¯t care who the Emperor is. Of course, they will support whoever can let them live and work peacefully. If we take the Yuesong tribe leader¡¯snd and distribute it to the tribesmen so that they will have their ownnd and food in return for not rebelling in the future, who would be willing to risk their lives anymore? Let Nanjiang¡¯s citizens stand up to protect their own interests.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s idea was somewhat simr to thend reform policies in the early days of China¡¯s liberation. very under the Nanzhao government was very much like very in Tibet before it was liberated. The citizens lived very bitterly.

    If they gave a portion of the nobles¡¯nd and properties to the citizens and let them taste the sweetness that came from the Mu army upying Nanjiang, the citizens would not agree if someone wanted to rebel against the Mu army in the future.

    On the second day of Darong Ka¡¯s public trial, a Great Yan jade merchant who operated in Nanjiang found the Han army.

    He asked the soldier standing guard, ¡°Is your General¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s mother Dier?¡±

    The soldier didn¡¯t know before, but now they certainly knew the name of Xiaojie¡¯s mother. He immediately shouted, ¡°Presumptuous! Is our Commander¡¯s mother¡¯s name something that you can say out loud?¡±

    The merchant was very excited. He immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m your Commander Mu¡¯s Waigong [maternal grandfather]! Let me in. I want to see my granddaughter......¡±

    The soldier looked at the merchant¡¯s cloud brocade. He looked handsome and elegant. He didn¡¯t seem to have a businessman¡¯s greedy stench. He asked doubtfully, ¡°Are you telling the truth? If you¡¯re impersonating Commander Mu¡¯s rtive, you will be guilty of a crime. Wait here. I¡¯ll go in and ask.¡±

    The soldier went inside. Zi You was immediately stunned. Of course she knew that her maternal grandparents were doing business in Nanjiang.

    But since her grandmother and mother returned to the Indian God Realm, she and her maternal grandfather had long lost contact.

    Was it really her Waigong who was looking for her because he knew that she was in Nanjiang?

    ¡°Ask him toe inside,¡± Zi You said. She had a feeling that this person might really be her Waigong.

    Her mother had told her that Waigong¡¯s jade business was very sessful. His wealth could rival a nation¡¯s. Not only were the Great Yan officials near Nanjiang acquainted with him, even the Nanjiang officials and businessmen were familiar with him.

    The person was soon shown in. They were stunned as soon as they saw each other.

    Xie Yunzhai looked at the girl in front of him who was wearing a goose yellow riding outfit that made her look prettier than flowers. Her waist was slender and she was charming with heroic spirit. The thing that was different from Great Yan girls was her facial features. She really looked a lot like his daughter Dier, except for their skin tones.

    His daughter was angry that year because he had concealed his marriage and deceived her mother and his wife and child came to find him. Dier had angrily run away from home and never came back.

    Later, Namisha, whom he pampered like a treasure, was soon brought back to India by her family. Only then did he know that the foreign girl whom he loved was actually a descendant of a goddess.

    It was really ridiculous. He had lied to her and said that he had no wife or family. In fact, Namisha had long known the truth. She had even known that his rtionship with his wife wasn¡¯t good.

    But Namisha loved him too. So, she didn¡¯t break things off and went with him to Nanjiang.

    Theyter had a daughter, Dier. Those days were the happiest of his life. That was until his selfish, fierce, ugly, and vicious wife and son came to find him.

    His daughter had then run away from home and followed Great Yan¡¯s army to the capital. She had married the Undefeated War God Old General Mu¡¯s son and had given birth to a daughter.

    But then Namisha returned to India and he had gradually lost contact with his daughter. It wasn¡¯t that he had never thought about going to find Dier in Great Yan, but he was afraid that his identity was special and would bring trouble to Dier.

    Later, Namisha had written to him that Dier had also returned to the Indian God Realm and had left a daughter named Mu Zi You in Great Yan.

    He had strongly suppressed his desire to find his granddaughter. He wanted to wait until his loyal confidants gathered his property together to send to her. But he didn¡¯t expect that she coulde to Nanjiang with Old General Mu to pacify the rebellion this time.

    The heavens had eyes! He could finally see his granddaughter.

    Zi You looked at him. A sense of intimacy instantly rose in her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°Waigong?¡±

    This ¡°Waigong¡± sounded doubtful, but it still made Xie Yunzhai tearful. He sobbed, ¡°Are you...... You¡¯er?¡±

    Then he didn¡¯t wait for Zi You to answer and immediately rushed over. He looked at her and said, ¡°Simr....... You look simr to your mother. You¡¯er, I¡¯m your Waigong. I didn¡¯t think that I would see you in my lifetime.....¡±

    ¡°Waigong!¡± Zi You shouted excitedly. She went over and held the man¡¯s hand.

    Old General Mu was immediately jealous. Let¡¯s not talk about strangers, but his granddaughter was very cold even to people whom she wasn¡¯t familiar with. She had never been so emotional before. This whatever Waigong never came to find You¡¯er before, but You¡¯er has such a big reaction at their first meeting today. I can¡¯t let him rob my position in You¡¯er¡¯s heart.

    He stepped forward and pushed Xie Yunzhai away. He asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? How dare you impersonate my granddaughter¡¯s Waigong? I never heard my daughter-inw talk about her father. She only has a mother and no father. Don¡¯t try to pass yourself off here. You better quickly scram away before I get angry!¡±

    Xie Yunzhai never thought that Old General Mu would be so unreasonable. He angrily stomped his foot. ¡°Hey! What are you saying? If my daughter doesn¡¯t have a father, then where did shee from? This is clearly my granddaughter. Why aren¡¯t you letting us recognize each other?¡±

    ¡°Why should I let you recognize her?¡± Old General Mu was very articte. ¡°Since my daughter-inw married, I have never seen her familye to find her. Since her birth until now, my granddaughter never had her maternal familye find or visit her. Now that you see my granddaughter is outstanding and our Great Yan is upying Nanjiang, you¡¯vee here to recognize her. What good calctions. You¡¯re really worthy of being a businessman.¡±

    Zi You never knew that her grandfather has a poisonous tongue. His speech made her Waigong speechless. Combined with his anger and excitement, Xie Yunzhai¡¯s tears started flowing down.

    He cried out with a lot of grievances and bitterness, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to find my daughter and granddaughter, but I live in Nanjiang year round. I am a Great Yan citizen and I am close friends with the Nanzhao citizens, so I wanted to go to the capital. But Dier¡¯s mother stopped me. She said that our daughter married Great Yan¡¯s general¡¯s son. If I hastily appeared on your doorstep, what if this matter is used by someone with ill intentions?¡±

 Chapter 202 - Returning Victorious Frightens the Empress and Taizi [1]

    <h4>Chapter 202 Returning Victorious Frightens the Empress and Taizi [1]</h4>

    Xie Yunzhai cried even sadder. ¡°Then my daughter sent me a letter and told me not to visit. She wrote that the people in the capital disdained Nanjiang people. So, I dared note even more because I was afraid to bring trouble to my daughter. It¡¯s not that I was maintaining my distance from my daughter and ignoring her.

    ¡°After Dier¡¯s mother left, you don¡¯t know how much I wanted to see my daughter and granddaughter. But then I received news of my daughter¡¯s death...... You¡¯er, it isn¡¯t that Waigong didn¡¯t want to find you. I just didn¡¯t dare to for fear of bringing you trouble!¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish speaking before he started to cry loudly. His sorrowful expression made the other senior generals in the house couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with him.

    Even Zi You shed tears in grief. When she was in India, she had heard her grandmother and mother talk about how her Waigong¡¯s original wife was married to him by virtue of a marriage contract set when they were babies. They had no feelings for each other. The woman was arrogant, domineering, selfish, and mean. Waigong had married her for only three days before leaving for Nanjiang.

    Waigong¡¯s family had been selling jade items, but no one was more talented than Waigong. Waigong had been in Nanjiang for three years and had expanded the original jade business several times over. This was also the reason why he had gone to India.

    He had gone to India to expand his business. He had heatstroke and met Waipo [maternal grandmother] who saved him. They fell in love at first sight. Waigong lied to her and said that he had no family.

    After he brought Waipo to Nanjiang, Waigong had always proimed that Waipo was his wife. He had never married concubines and had even sold the two tongfang yatous whom he had.

    Waigong was very loving and doting on Waipo and Dier to the point where Dier couldn¡¯t even believe it when Waigong¡¯s wife and child came. She then realized than he had deceived her and her mother.

    She had angrily run away from home and went into the mountains. Then she had met the Mu army, Mu YingYi, and Old General Mu.

    Later, Dier went with Old General Mu and Mu YingYi to Great Yan. She had then found out Great Yan¡¯s disgust and disdain for people from Nanjiang. So, she was even more afraid to reveal her true identity.

    Waigong had always been afraid to find her because he was afraid to bring trouble to Dier and Old General Mu.

    Her Waipo still deeply loved Waigong. Waipo had cried when she was telling Zi You about her Waigong in India. ¡°If he finds you, you should reconcile with him if you can. He is a good person and very wealthy. When I gambled on stones with him, his umted wealth could be said to rival a nation¡¯s. He always said that he would leave his property to you and your mother in the future.¡±

    Zi You wasn¡¯t greedy for riches, but she believed her Waipo¡¯s words. She knew that her Waigong was a good person and only wanted to make up with his loved ones.

    Shangguan LingRan saw Zi You crying and immediately guessed what she was thinking. He grew distressed and went over to help Xie Yunzhai sit down in a chair.

    Then he went over to Old General Mu to whisper, ¡°Grandfather, I know that you¡¯re unhappy, but if you don¡¯t let YouYou make up with her Waigong, YouYou will be sad. Can you let your precious granddaughter be sad?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can¡¯t!¡± Old General Mu immediately scolded Xie Yunzhai. ¡°Ai! You¡¯re useless as a man. I just said some words and you¡¯re crying like a woman? Your granddaughter is over here. And no one is stopping you from making up with her. So why are you crying?¡±

    As soon as Xie Yunzhai heard this, he instantly cried even harder in excitement.

    Zi You went over to nudge him. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore, Waigong. We¡¯ve finally met. We should be happy!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er, my treasure.¡± Xie Yunzhai hugged Zi You and cried.

    It would be false to say that he wasn¡¯t sad. The heavens knew how much he loved Namisha and Dier. Their departure almost left his heart like ash.

    Now, he could finally see his granddaughter whom his precious daughter had given birth to.

    When Zi You and Shangguan LingRan followed Waigong to his fu, they then found out how wealthy he was.

    When the door torge underground treasure room in the elegantly furnished and low-key luxurious fu was open, the sparkling and dazzling jewelry and jewels really blinded the two people.

    Even Shangguan LingRan, who had seen a lot of treasures in the Pce¡¯s treasury, was stunned. ¡°You...... Your Waigong...... is really wealthy!¡±

    Xie Yunzhai ced the key to the treasury in Zi You¡¯s hand in a fawning manner. He said lovingly, ¡°You¡¯er, this is all yours. Some of this is redited to your Waipo. She helped me sessfully gamble on stones. Everything is all yours now.¡±

    Zi You had never thought that she would have a day when she would be wealthy. But the thing that made her happy was that she could take action more easily if Waigong helped her grandfather.

    Xie Yunzhai gave his huge fu to the army to live in and his huge fortune to Zi You. Old General Mu no longer eyed and targeted Xie Yunzhai.

    The two old men soon became like a family and hit it off. Xie Yunzhai had been a businessman for many years. He was very experienced with management and mining. Old General Mu would ask him for advice. They got along more and more harmoniously.

    As a result, Zi You, Shangguan LingRan, and Mu YingYi could leave without any worries.

    They stayed in Nanjiang for another month. When Old General Mu and Xie Yunzhai got along with tacit understanding, everything was on track, and the nobles and ethnic tribes didn¡¯t make any more trouble, Zi You, Shangguan LingRan, and Mu YingYi then started to return to the capital.

    With their departure for Great Yan, the 2,000 soldiers who went with them into the mountains as well as ten female medical team members led by Rong Yunhe and Darong Ka came along too.

    The 2,000 soldiers were not only loyal, but they also had particrly outstanding martial arts. They were going to be used by Zi You and Shangguan LingRan at a crucial moment against Taizi, the Empress, and the Emperor.

    Before they left, they interrogated Darong Ka alone and found out some secretive matters in the capital.

    Darong Ka told Zi You and Shangguan LingRan, ¡°Mu furen¡¯s legs were originallypletely wasted. The Empress told me to heal her. I healed one. The Empress said that we should pay attention to anyone rted to you and Old General Mu. We have to help your enemies and never let go of your friends.

    ¡°So, I also cured Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s drug addiction. Duke Yongnan furen and Duke Yongnan Shizi scolded you incessantly. But Duke Yongnan said this wasn¡¯t your fault because you had warned them that Xiaoyao Powder couldn¡¯t be over-ingested since it would be addictive.¡±

    No wonder Wang Yiping and Zhao HongXiang were fine. So it was the Empress and Taizi supporting them from the back. As such, when Zi You returned, she had to let the Empress experience the feeling of death was better than living. Let¡¯s see who could save the Empress at that time.

    Before Zi You and the others left, Old General Mu wrote a letter to the Emperor. He had always been writing bad news and never any good news. ¡°Mu YingYi led 30,000 troops into the mountains and hadn¡¯t been heard from since.¡± ¡°Darong Ka deceived Chen. He led Chen and 10,000 soldiers into the swampy areas to rescue Mu YingYi. The army suffered heavily casualties.¡±

    ¡°Darong Ka is a spy. He led the 30,000 soldiers under YingYi¡¯smand into the swamps. More than half are injured or dead.¡±

    Only when Zi You and the others were going back to Great Yan did Old General Mu wrote another letter to Xuanwu Emperor stating that the army had invaded Dali. 14,000 soldiers were left to upy Nanjiang.

    Of course, by the time the messenger had delivered the letter to the Emperor, Zi You and the others had already arrived.

    Xuanwu Emperor seethed with anger when he saw the letter! He thought that Mu Junyuan and Mu YingYi had already fallen into the swamp and died. He didn¡¯t expect that they not only escaped from the swamp, but they even sessfully pacified the rebellion andpletely upied Nanjiang. It even became a county of Great Yan and not just an affiliated country anymore.

    He should have been happy with the expansion of territory, but he was not only unhappy, but he also felt very uneasy.

    That was because the letter said that the spy Darong Ka had been executed. But did Darong Ka give him up? If he really gave him up, what would Mu Junyuan and Mu YingYi do if they knew that he was trying to kill them? Would they note back? Would they wait until Nanjiang grows in strength and then suddenly return?

    But they wereing back now. However, they didn¡¯t listen to him and left the army in Nanjiang. What were they doing?

    But the thing that made him stifled was that he couldn¡¯t charge Mu Junyuan with a crime of defying an imperial edict. That was because his edict hadn¡¯t been sent and Mu Junyuan had already returned without receiving the edict.

    Moreover, he had a very good reason: ¡°Chen was trapped in the swamp for seven days. Although Chen¡¯s granddaughter arrived in time to rescue Chen, Chen is still very weak. Nanjiang weather is humid and not suitable for Chen to recuperate. If Chen keeps staying here, Chen would most likely die in Nanjiang. So, Chen didn¡¯t receive Emperor¡¯s edict and returned ahead of time. Please punish Chen, Emperor!

    ¡°Chen also left more than 14,000 soldiers in Nanjiang to protect the fruits of our victory. We¡¯ve just upied Nanjiang and themoners are unstable. In order to prevent them from rising up in rebellion again, Chen made a decision without Emperor¡¯s consent. Please punish Chen, Emperor!¡±

    A ¡°Please punish Chen, Emperor¡± on the left and a ¡°Please punish Chen, Emperor¡± on the right. What could he do? Was he really going to punish Old General Mu, who had just sessfully pacified the rebellion and became severely ill? How chilling would that be for the soldiers?

    Immoral matters should be done secretly. The Emperor couldn¡¯t publicize them.

    Therefore, not only could he not punish him, but he had to reward him. He also had to apologize to Mu Junyuan for trusting the wrong person and bringing huge losses to the army.

    Xuanwu Emperor was depressed for a long time. But then he thought that Zi You was back and saved the soldiers stuck in the swamps. He felt a little better then.

 Chapter 203 - Returning Victorious Frightens the Empress and Taizi [2]

    <h4> Chapter 203 Returning Victorious Frightens the Empress and Taizi [2]</h4>

    A kind reader bought me coffees! Thank you very much for your support! Here are the promised bonus parts! ??

    Xuanwu Emperor thought that it was the best if it was like what Mu Junyuan had written: ¡°That spy wanted to use gu to murder Chen. You¡¯er cured Chen¡¯s poison. That spy was bitten by his own gu. When we found him, he was already dead. He caused our army to lose more than 20,000 people in the Land of Death. He really deserves to die! Even if he¡¯s dead, an immoral and sinister person like him should be sliced into a thousand pieces!¡±

    Wait! Why did thatst line sounded like he¡¯s scolding Zhen?

    Xuanwu Emperor was so angry that his chest hurt when he thought of thatst line in the letter. But he then remembered that Old General Mu hadn¡¯t seen the living Darong Ka. He chuckled.

    That means that Mu Junyuan doesn¡¯t know about Zhen¡¯s scheme. That¡¯s good. Zhen can continue pretending. Mu Zi You was beautiful like a fairy two years ago. Won¡¯t she be even more beautiful now? She can even rid the gu that Darong Ka used. She must have a special ability, just like her mother.

    If Zhen obtains her, then Zhen won¡¯t be afraid of anyone. Xuanwu Emperor was annoyed and then he thought for a while. He felt a trace of hope and a trace of unease. Even he couldn¡¯t figure out what he was feeling.

    The Empress¡¯ eyes were red and looked ferocious as she paced back and forth in her Fengming Pce, like a rotatingntern. All the pce servants in her pce felt dizzy.

    The Devil Ring had been hidden by her, but it was really too strange! It emitted a red light no matter where she put it.

    Darong Ka had said: ¡°Once the Devil Ring emits a red light, it means that I¡¯m in danger or I am already dead. But that can¡¯t be possible, because I can¡¯t die. I can¡¯t bear to leave you, my noble Empress!¡±

    But the Devil Ring was constantly emitting a red light. Was it really like what old man Mu said? Darong Ka was really bitten by his gu and died? Then what should Bengong do with this ring?

    Darong Ka had said that she could psychicallymunicate with him through the Devil Ring. No matter how far away he was, as long as she rubbed the ring, he would know what she was thinking about and respond. However, she didn¡¯t know how many times that she had rubbed the ring, but she hadn¡¯t received any news from Darong Ka.

    It was like he didn¡¯t exist anymore and left behind this hateful Devil Ring. She didn¡¯t know what to do with it. The ring emitted red light all day. She hid it in a box and the red light prated through the box. She buried it in the ground and red light could even prate through the soil.

    She didn¡¯t know what use this Devil Ring still had. She couldn¡¯t keep it or throw it away. It became a hot potato in her hands. She didn¡¯t dare to discuss it with Taizi. If Taizi found out that she and Darong Ka had an affair, he would despise her to the extreme.

    And at that time, the Empress found out Mu Zi You¡¯s real identity.

    Darn it! Her mother actually turned out to be a descendant from an Indian goddess. Didn¡¯t that mean that Mu Zi You was also a descendant of a goddess? No wonder she had such abilities. She could actually escape from a heavy storm, rid the gu that Darong Ka used, and had the gu bite Darong Ka back.

    The Empress was jealous and resentful. When she had found out that Zi You was a descendant of a goddess, she had immediately told Darong Ka, ¡°Get rid of her while she¡¯s still not very strong. Don¡¯t let her obtain any special abilities like her mother.¡±

    Darong Ka had then taken advantage of the rainy days to cast a spell for heavy storms. He had said that he would kill the whole Mu family, but she didn¡¯t expect that they still escaped.

    Theforting thing was that Zi You was injured and was brought away by an expert. No one knew whether she could be saved or not.

    Other than Old General Mu, Mu YingYi, and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s confidants, no one knew that Zi You had gone to the Indian God Realm. The Empress saw that Old General Mu and Mu YingYi were ill and really thought that Zi You was dead.

    The Empress had thought that Old General Mu and Mu YingYi would die. Then Taizi could ce people from his camp as he wished into the army. But she didn¡¯t expect that Old General Mu and Mu YingYi would recover.

    That n failed, so the Empress could onlye up with another. Taizi had found an alluring enchantress with much difficulty. He was reluctant to use her, but he had still given her to the Emperor.

    The Emperor did not find out although Taizi and the woman had slept together a few times. The Emperor was still doting and blindly obedient to that woman Wu Jieyu.

    In order to confer Wu Jieyu as a Fei, he even wanted her adopted father, a fourth-rank general Ren Weicheng, to rece Old General Mu.

    Now, not only was Old General Mu not dead, but Zi You wasing back. On the contrary, Darong Ka couldn¡¯te back. So how could she not be frightened? She was so resentful that her organs hurt.

    Taizi was the same as the Empress. He was also pacing around his East Pce.

    In these two years, he could be described as flushed with sess! He had married Liu Ruixue and received Duke Anguo fu¡¯s support. Then he had married the Minister of War¡¯s youngest Di daughter Ke Yiqiao as cefei and obtained the Minister of War¡¯s support. He had finally offered Wu Jieyu and regained the Emperor¡¯s trust. He had also ced people from his camp into the five cities¡¯ army. This was the equivalent to having half of the military power of the capital in his hands.

    He had originally wanted to wait until Old General Mu and his son died to take all of the capital¡¯s military power and half of the country¡¯s military power.

    That was because Ren Weicheng was already in his camp. And that Wu Jieyu was just a geisha from Qingzhou. Her name was Sai Feiyan because she was delicate, petite, and beautiful, walked particrly alluringly, and held thousands of affection.

    She was given to him by Ren Weicheng. Taizi had seen that this woman was particrly seductive and knew that all men would like her, especially the Emperor. There were 3,000 beauties in the harem, who were mostly women educated in etiquette and norms. There were no women like Sai Feiyan.

    Sure enough, the Emperor was very happy when he had seen her. He had immediately conferred her as ¡°Wu Meiren¡± and slept at her ce for three days in a row without going to morning court. She was then soon conferred as a ¡°Jieyu.¡±

    With Wu Jieyu constantly praising him in front of the Emperor and criticizing Third Wangzi, the Emperor did indeed trusted him more than before.

    Although Liu Ruixue was on her guard against him in the beginning, but so what? Was there no way for him to make a woman submit to him?

    Even Taizifei had targeted Liu Ruixue in the beginning and caused her to miscarry once. Now, she was coaxed by him until she treated Liu Ruixue¡¯s current child in her belly like a treasure.

    That was because he had told Taizifei, ¡°Yuejiao, are you a fool? You and I are cousins and childhood sweethearts. Our feelings are much deeper than mine with her. I treat her well to get the support of Duke Anguo fu. Besides, won¡¯t it be better if she gives birth to a son? If you give birth to a son in the future, then it will be great. But if you do not, then you can raise her child as your own.¡±

    Women? Huh! Which one wasn¡¯t easy to obtain? Other than that extraordinary Mu Zi You.

    Taizi didn¡¯t expect that Mu Zi You not only did not die, but she wasing back. She had also obtained abilities and had even killed Darong Ka.

    He really wasn¡¯t clear on whether she knew about Darong Ka or not. What if she saw Darong Ka and Darong Ka told her my scheme? What to do then?

    I really don¡¯t know why that Darong Ka is so ipetent. And he said that he¡¯s some famous shaman in Nanjiang? Bullsh*t! Taizi kicked over a chair in the study in his anger. Then he kicked a screen ced in the study.

    There was an eagle embroidered on the screen. The eagle was the enemy of a snake. And the snake represented a dragon. He wanted to be a proud eagle in the sky and capture his ruthless, selfish, and lustful dragon Fuwang and throw him off a cliff.

    This was the birthday gift that Liu Ruixue had personally embroidered for him for hisst year¡¯s birthday. Wait. Liu Ruixue was Mu Zi You¡¯s godsister. How could he have forgotten this?

    Taizi pped his head. Then he immediately pretended as if nothing had happened and said, ¡°Someone,e clean up the study.¡±

    Two pce maids came inside. Taizi had restored his elegant gentlemanly appearance. He waved his fan elegantly and went to Liu Ruixue¡¯s Xuejiao Pavilion.

    Liu Ruixue was now six months pregnant. She was talking to Taizifei about the child right now. She was suspicious as she looked at Taizifei¡¯s sincere smile. But she soon secretly shook her head.

    She was too worried, right? If Taizifei wanted to harm her, she would have done it already and not wait until now.

    Didn¡¯t she have a miscarriage when she was no more than two months pregnant? She hadter discovered that it was Taizi¡¯s pampered consort who had done something in front of her door that caused her to slip. Taizifei had nothing to do with it.

    Liu Ruixue was extremely stupid. She even naively thought that Taizifei wanted Taizi to quickly have a son because he was unqualified to be the monarch of nation if he didn¡¯t have a son at twenty-four years old.

    Therefore, Taizifei she ced her hopes on Liu Ruixue because Taizifei couldn¡¯t give birth to a son.

    The two people saw Taizie inside. An obvious trace of jealousy shed in Taizifei¡¯s eyes. But she soon looked gentle and smiled. ¡°I knew that Taizi is worried about meimei. That¡¯s why I boiled bird¡¯s nest soup and came here to keep meimeipany.¡±

    ¡°I knew that you¡¯re virtuous and generous.¡± Taizi pretended to look appreciatively at Taizifei.

    Then he walked over to Liu Ruixue and affectionately pulled on her hand. ¡°How are you? Is our son good today? He didn¡¯t upset you, right?¡±

 Chapter 204 - The Hypocritical Taizi and His Lover Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 204 The Hypocritical Taizi and His Lover</h4>

    Liu Ruixue touched her stomach as she spoke. She smiled very happily. She was pregnant, so she seemed more voluptuous and feminine.

    Taizi¡¯s peach blossom eyes deepened. He didn¡¯t take into ount that Taizifei was still here. He reached out to touch Liu Ruixue¡¯s stomach. His voice became deeper and more sensual. ¡°Oh? Let me touch it.¡±

    Even if Taizi said what he had said to She Yuejiao, but seeing her husband being intimate with other women, her still-jealous chest burned with pain.

    She couldn¡¯t stay there any longer and quickly said, ¡°Taizi, I won¡¯t disturb you. I will take my leave.¡±

    She quickly left. Her heart pained as if it was being gouged out. She couldn¡¯t say that she really loved Taizi, but Taizi was her husband. Her husband was being intimate with a woman who was carrying her husband¡¯s child. How could she endure it? She hated that she couldn¡¯t pull the child out and stuff him in her stomach instead.

    Liu Ruixue noticed Taizifei¡¯s abnormality. She instantly said to Taizi, ¡°Taizi, in front of Taizifei, you should¡­¡­ You should pay more attention.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Taizi deliberately pretended that he didn¡¯t care. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant right now. But even if you aren¡¯t, you¡¯re much more important to me than she is. Xue¡¯er, don¡¯t you know how much I love you? Give birth to a son for me. When I ascend to the throne, I will give him the title of Taizi.¡±

    Liu Ruixue was fed such words by Taizi day by day until she lost her reason.

    It wasn¡¯t an exception this time either. If Taizi sold her right now, she would be helping him count the money.

    Taizi said, ¡°Your You meimei ising back soon. I really didn¡¯t think that she woulde back alive. You two are sworn sisters. When shees back, I will send an invitation card to her and ask her toe here to keep youpany.¡±

    Although Liu Ruixue was mesmerized by Taizi, she still remembered that Taizi was once infatuated with Zi You. She said vigntly, ¡°Forget it. I heard that You meimei went through a lot of hardships. She must be really tired. We should talk after she gets some rest.¡±

    Taizi faintly sighed and looked very worried and sad. ¡°Xue¡¯er, I want you to invite Mu Zi You here to clear up a misunderstanding. You don¡¯t know this, but the guide who led the Mu army into the swamps was rmended by me to Fuwang. I thought that he was a witch doctor, so Old General Mu¡¯s army would be safer with him there. Who knew¡­¡­

    ¡°He turned out to be a spy. He deceived me and harmed the Mu army. It doesn¡¯t matter if You¡¯er ¨C Mu Zi You and Old General Mu hate me, but I¡¯m afraid that they will hate Fuwang. That would be bad.

    ¡°So, I want you to invite Mu Zi You over to rify the misunderstanding with her. If I invite her, she certainly would note. I have no other intentions. Don¡¯t worry. I only have you and our child in my heart. There won¡¯t be anyone else.¡±

    So it was like this. Liu Ruixue believed Taizi¡¯s lies. She nodded and agreed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll invite her over when she gets back. I¡¯ll persuade her too.¡±

    ¡°I knew that you¡¯re the best.¡± Taizi hugged and kissed Liu Ruixue wildly.

    Soon, both of them were feeling passionate.

    Just as Liu Ruixue thought that Taizi would stay, Taizi said to her, ¡°I still have something to do. You rest. I wille see you tomorrow.¡±

    Then he kissed Liu Ruixue again before leaving.

    Chapter 204 The Hypocritical Taizi and His Lover Part 2/3

    A GLOSSARY IS HERE for terms left in pinyin, for those who need it!

    ALL AVAILABLE CHAPTERS ARE LISTED ON THE TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE UNDER CURRENT [BG] ROMANCE PROJECTS!]

    Liu Ruixue was ufortable and looked painfully at him, but she was too embarrassed to ask him to stay. She couldn¡¯t say, ¡°Stay here. The imperial doctor said that I¡¯m pregnant for more than six months now. We can do that thing.¡±

    No, it was too embarrassing! Perhaps Taizi didn¡¯t know about this. She couldn¡¯t me him. Liu Ruixue touched her stomach andughed at herself.

    But she didn¡¯t know that the Taizi who had just said that he had only her in his heart was with Taizifei at this moment.

    He began to softlyfort Taizifei, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it too much, Jiao¡¯er. I have to coax her because Mu Zi You is about toe back. Her abilities are extraordinary now. I have to pull her over to support me. I can¡¯t let her ruin my ns.¡±

    Taizifei had also heard about Zi You saving the Mu army from the swamps. She didn¡¯t understand it. Mu Zi You was just a little girl. How could she not be afraid of the swamps? They said that the swamps were infested with poisonous snakes and insects. So, why wasn¡¯t she afraid?

    She immediately asked, ¡°Why was she not afraid of those poisonous creatures? What a monster. She looked like a vixen. She¡¯s probably an evil monster. Taizi, you have to be careful and not be harmed by her.¡±

    ¡°I am the future Emperor. Do I need to be scared of her?¡± Taizi was unconvinced. He then hugged Taizifei and pretended to gently say, ¡°Help me manage Taizi fu. I have been very busytely. I might not have time toe keep youpany. Don¡¯t mind it. In my heart, you are my only wife. Everyone else is just tools and ythings. Hm? Remember.¡±

    Taizifei snuggled into Taizi¡¯s arms. Her heart was sweet like she drank honey water. She looked affectionately at him and nodded.

    But she didn¡¯t know that after her husband left her, hewent to the study and immediately tangled with another woman.

    After the storm ended on the mahogany bed, Taizi hugged the woman in satisfaction. Heughed. ¡°Baby, how was it?¡±

    The woman called ¡°Baby¡± exposed a small face from underneath the quilt. She bashfully extended a small hand and gently rubbed Taizi¡¯s chest. ¡°Taizi is getting stronger and stronger. But I can¡¯t keep on sneaking around with you like this. Go ask the Emperor to marry us!¡±

    ¡°Yun¡¯er.¡± Taizi was obviously a little impatient. He moved his shoulder away from the woman¡¯s fragrant shoulder. He frowned and said, ¡°Why are you always so impatient? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯ve been troubledtely? Besides, do you not believe me or what?

    ¡°Your little aunt is my cefei. If I ask Fuwang to marry you, what will Fuwang think of me? Don¡¯t worry. When I ascend to the throne, you will be one of the Feis. Now, you have to keep an eye on Fuwang. You are a female official around him. There is a lot of news that you can learn quickly. Don¡¯t let go of this opportunity to help me ascend to the throne. You will have credit for it, so who will dare to offend you in the future? You won¡¯t have to be scared of even the Empress then.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± The woman agreed coquettishly. ¡°I understand. I will do my best to help you, Taizi.¡±

    The woman was Ke Yun¡¯er, Minister of War¡¯s Di granddaughter, Minister of War¡¯s deceased wife¡¯s first son¡¯s eldest daughter, and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s original good friend.

    The Minister of War¡¯s current wife¡¯s daughter Ke Yiqiao was Taizi¡¯s cefei. Ke Yun¡¯er was now having an affair with Taizi. Of course Taizi didn¡¯t dare to publicly ask the Emperor to marry her. Otherwise, Taizi would be used of having improper rtions and be censured by the Imperial Censors. His gentlemanly image would be ruined.

    He seduced Ke Yun¡¯er for excitement and mainly also because she was a third-rank female official around the Emperor.

    Ke Yun¡¯er was also not a simple person. She was originally blindly following behind Shangguan Lingluo.

    Shangguan Lingluo died and she knew that she wasn¡¯t very outstanding. She was just rather cute. Her father was only a sixth-rank Justic of the Peace. And her grandfather didn¡¯t value her father. She was in such an awkward situation that it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens if she wanted to be Taizifei or a Wangzi¡¯s cefei.

    She had originally targeted Ming Wang Shizi Shangguan Weiran, one of the Four Tyrants. But he didn¡¯t like her or want her.

    But she wasn¡¯t willing to be casually paired off with a humble schr by her step-grandmother. So, she had created an opportunity to meet the Emperor. And the Emperor had favored her in confusion.

    Such a thing actually happened. To appease the Minister of War, the Emperor had finally let her enter the Pce as a consort of course.

    But Ke Yun¡¯er was very clever. Although she had been favored by the Emperor, she knew that it would be just a dream to be the Emperor¡¯s pampered consort with her looks.

    So, she had immediately cried like pear blossoms in the rain. She had said to the Emperor, ¡°Nubi has always admired the Emperor. Nubi is honored to obtain Emperor¡¯s favor, even if it¡¯s only once. Nubi doesn¡¯t dare to hope that Nubi will enter the Pce to one of Emperor¡¯s consorts. Nubi only wishes to follow Emperor as a ve. Nubi will have no regrets if Nubi can see you every day!¡±

    She thought that rather than being one of the many women waiting in the harem for the Emperor¡¯s favor and may never see the Emperor again, she might as well be a proper female official around the Emperor.

    It turned out that her decision was correct. Since she became the Emperor¡¯s imperial rites official, whether it was an official or Wangzi, their attitudes might not be respectful, but they were very amiable towards her. Even the Emperor¡¯s consorts did everything to fawn over her.

    That was how Taizi found her. When she was a studypanion to Shangguan Lingluo, when did Taizi even look directly at her?

    She didn¡¯t believe what Taizi said about making her one of the four Feis. But she was testing Taizi and Taizi was using her. They were using and cooperating with each other. If Taizi really ascended to the throne, the day of her death would probably soon arrive.

    So, she would not let Taizi ascend to the throne. She would not be controlled by others. She wanted to be a woman who controled others. Even if she wouldn¡¯t be the Empress, she wanted to be more powerful than the Empress in the future.

    Whether it was the Emperor or Taizi, they were just tools she used to strengthen her power in order to fight against her step-grandmother and her selfish and mean grandfather.

 Chapter 205 - Meeting Enemies After Returning in Victory

    <h4>Chapter 205 Meeting Enemies After Returning in Victory</h4>

    Some time ago, Taizi had wanted to bribe Ke Yun¡¯er¡¯s grandfather. He had ordered several officials to petition the Emperor that Mu army¡¯s sessful counterinsurgency efforts were due to the efforts of the Minister of War and the Minister of Revenue. They had prepared sufficient army provisions for the army. Thus, they should be conferred a title.

    At that time, Ke Yun¡¯er hadn¡¯t dared to say anything, but she had sneered. She knew that the Emperor was suspicious and liked listening to the truth. The reason that he doted on her was because she was na?ve and spoke what she thought without hiding anything. So, the Emperor had asked her why she had sneered. She had replied, ¡°Emperor, Nubi doesn¡¯t dare to discuss politics.¡±

    The Emperor had replied, ¡°Zhen will pardon you.¡±

    She had immediately replied, ¡°Emperor, if the soldiers pacifying the rebellion heard about these memorials, wouldn¡¯t their hearts turn cold? ording to what Nubi heard, the soldiers ate whatever they could catch in the swamps. They even had to eat grass and tree roots. If Emperor confers a title to Minister of War and Minister of Revenue, then how will you reward the soldiers who suffered and worked hard to counter Nanjiang¡¯s rebellion? Isn¡¯t this posing a difficult problem for you, Emperor?¡±

    The Emperor didn¡¯t me her and had asked her instead, ¡°But the Minister of War is your grandfather. Don¡¯t you want him to have a title?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She had pretended to righteously reply, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want their rtives to enjoy Emperor¡¯s grace and obtain a title? But that has to be because of real effort. He can¡¯t be scolded as not living up to his achievements, right?¡±

    When she had finished speaking, her old grandfather¡¯s Marquis title was immediately lost. You want to look down on my father and be partial towards my step-grandmother¡¯s children? I¡¯ll y with you to death!

    Moreover, she had soon taken a leave of absence. She had returned back to Minister of War¡¯s fu and said to her step-grandmother, ¡°Do you know what the Emperor said to me today? He wanted to confer gradndfather as Marquis Yongle. Do you know what I said? I told the Emperor that he isn¡¯t worthy, so the Emperor didn¡¯t issue a decree. So, with me here, don¡¯t ever think that you will be Marquis furen.¡±

    At that time, the vicious woman had spat out blood. Because she had kicked all the servants out, the old woman didn¡¯t have anything that she could use against her. If Ke Yun¡¯er refused to admit it, what could the darned old woman do to her?

    Huh! So what if you married your daughter to Taizi? I can still steal Taizi away and tell him not to sleep with her!

    .........

    On the other end, Zi You and the others finally arrived in the capital in autumn.

    Mu YingYi noticed that this was the same time as when they had left the capital, whether it was going into the mountains for military triaing or the going to the battlefield. The Emperor had either personally led hundreds of officials to send them off or Taizi had led hundreds of officials to send them off. It was onlyst time when they were leaving to pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang that the Emperor and Taizi had made excuses that they were feeling unwell to not send them off. Second Wangzi had led hundreds of officials to send them to the gate instead.

    They had obviously been treated so coldly. It was a pity that he and his father couldn¡¯t see the Emperor and Taizi¡¯s sinister thoughts. They knew that he and his father would nevere back, so they didn¡¯t even bother doing the superficial pleasantries.

    Mu YingYi looked at the fake smile on Taizi¡¯s face. He was so angry that his face turned wooden. No matter what Taizi asked, he replied very coldly and never smiled.

    Taizi felt extremely awkward until Zi You pushed out Shangguan LingRan, who was disguised as Old General Mu, in a wheelchair.

    Taizi quickly went over and pretended to humbly say, ¡°Old General Mu is feeling unwell. You didn¡¯t have toe out.¡±

    ¡°Etiquette should not be disregarded.¡± Shangguan LingRan imitated Old General Mu¡¯s voice perfectly. ¡°Please forgive Chen for not being able to salute you out of this wheelchair, Taizi. Chen¡¯s legs were bitten by poisonous creatures in the swamp for too long. They¡¯re probably wasted. Chen can probably never stand up and walk again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er can¡¯t treat it?¡± Taizi pretended to look sadly at Zi You.

    Sure enough, she was more beautiful now. Even if Chang¡¯e descended from the Moon Pce, she wouldn¡¯t be as beautiful and elegant as Zi You.

    She was wearing a light blue upper garment. Her neckline and sleeves were edged with ice blue silver thread. She was wearing a light blue ombre dress embroidered with silver flowers. The light blue made her seem amiable. The ice blue was dazzling. The silver thread shed. Plus, crystals were sewn between the flower petals. They shone in the sun and blinded people¡¯s eyes.

    Zi You didn¡¯t wear any gold or red jewelry. Instead, she had on jade-blue and emerald-green feathers that shed a deep light. The blue clothing matched them seamlessly. She seemed elegant and leisure, but she still had a low-key refiniement and brilliance. In autumn, the world was a golden color. Her blue outfit contrasting against the gold made her even more eye-catching.

    Her appearance and posture were vivid unlike the juvenile air from two years ago. Her whole body was filled with bright and dazzling brilliance. Against the bright background, her skin seemed even more like snow. Her eyes were like autumn water. Her faint smile made her eyes and teeth seem brighter.

    She wasn¡¯t as cold and aloof as she was to him two years ago. Instead, she smiled more flirtatiously. Even when she bowed to him, Taizi felt that Zi You deliberately moved elegantly and beautifully, like a dance and like floating clouds.

    Her voice was like a warbler and sweeter than it was two years ago. It was as clear and moving as spring water in the mountains. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Taizi. Wishing Taizi good fortune!¡±

    ¡°Please rise, You¡¯er.¡± Taizi smiled gently and kindly as usual. ¡°It¡¯s been really hard on you! You¡¯ve made great achievements this time. This Taizi will ask Fuwang to reward you greatly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Taizi!¡± Zi You slightly bowed again. ¡°Chennu doesn¡¯t dare to ask for a reward. Chennu is also part of Great Yan. It is Chennu¡¯s duty to contribute to the country and the government and share the Emperor¡¯s worries. Chennu doesn¡¯t dare to im any credit.¡±

    Zi You smiled at Taizi as she spoke. Her beautiful eyes shimmered, as if they chould hook out his soul.

    Taizi¡¯s heart rate increased. He asked somewhat unfomrotably, ¡°You¡¯er...... You¡¯er, why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Like that?¡± Zi You deliberately tilted her head mischievously. She smiled vividly and cutely. ¡°That¡¯s because brother-inw is looking at me. Otherwise, how can you know that I¡¯m looking at you, brother-inw?¡±

    Taizi was overjoyed! He had never given up on Zi You. Now, he saw that she was more beautiful than two years ago and her personality was livelier and more open.

    Two years ago, he had thought that she was indeed very beautiful, but she hadck some vividness, like an unattainable fairy. Now, this fairy had fallen into the mortal world and was within his reach. So, how could he not be excited?

    He thought: ¡®If you were so easy to get close to now and not kept people a thousand miles away, would I need to expend so much thought and effort to coax Liu Ruixue to invite you to the fu? I would have just done it myself.¡¯

    Taizi immediately pretended to smile warmly. ¡°Oh, right. Your Xue jiejie was thinking about you this morning. She said that she really misses you and wants to invite you over. Do you have any time?¡±

    ¡°I also miss Xue jiejie.¡± Zi You replied very straightforwardly. ¡°Please tell jiejie that I don¡¯t have time right now, brother-inw. I¡¯ll go visit her when I get everything settled. Besides, I have to prepare a decent gift for my little nephew before I can visit her. I¡¯m a little aunt at the very least.¡±

    Taizi didn¡¯t expect that Zi You would get close to him. He became more and more happy. He was originally worried that Darong Ka had given him up. Now, this concernpletely dissipated.

    It seemed that what they wrote in their letters were true. When they found Darong Ka, Darong Ka was already dead. Otherwise, Mu Junyuan was so ill that they could have found a reason to prevaricate and stay in Nanjiang.

    As if to confirm his guess, Zi You said, ¡°Chennu thank you for your kind regards to Xue jiejie, Taizi.¡±

    Then she yfully shook her head and mumbled to herself, ¡°Eh, look at me. Why am I thanking you? You are Xue jiejie¡¯s husband, so you should treat her well. I¡¯ve said the wrong thing, brother-inw. Don¡¯t take offense.¡±

    Taizi had originally wanted to ask after Old General Mu¡¯s condition. He had even arranged for some imperial doctors. But Zi You repeatedly joking made him forget about everything else.

    Zi You had been joking only with Taizi. Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi were extremely jealous.

    Third Wangzi was originally angry that Taizi¡¯s limelight had been suppressing him. Now, he saw Zi You smiling brilliantly at him, unlike when she was closer to him two years ago.

    So, he instantly walked over and said tartly, ¡°It seems that Taizi gege is too dazzling and blinded Mu Xiaojie¡¯s eyes. Second brother and I are here, but Mu Xiaojie didn¡¯t even see us.¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t get angry and went over to bow to Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi. She still had a leisure smile on her face. ¡°Chennu pays respects to Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi! Wishing Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi good fortune!¡±

    ¡°Please quickly get up, Mu Xiaojie.¡± Compared to Third Wangzi¡¯s publicly expressed dissatisfaction, Second Wangzi didn¡¯t make things difficult for Zi You. His eyes burned as they looked at her with a deep yearning.

    Zi You slightly smiled at him. She then looked at Third Wangzi and said, ¡°Third Wangzi, you can¡¯t me Chennu or Taizi. You can only me you and Second Wangzi. We haven¡¯t seen each other in two years, but Third Wangzi has grown so tall. Chennu didn¡¯t dare to recognize you because Chennu was afraid to be wrong.¡±

    ¡°Then you can only recognize Taizi gege?¡± Third Wangzi still asked, still unwilling to give up.

    Zi You deliberately looked at all three of them. She shook her head destely. ¡°That¡¯s because Taizi is wearing a bright yellow brocade robe or Chennu wouldn¡¯t dare to recognize him. After all, Chennu has left the capital for more than two years. Everything in the capital has changed. It¡¯s normal for Chennu not to recognize you, right? Please forgive Chennu, Wangzis.¡±

    ¡°Third brother, don¡¯t be so obstinate.¡± Taizi reprimanded Third Wangzi in dissatisfaction.

    Third Wangzi immediately red at Taizi like he was an enemy. He asked mockingly, ¡°What? Taizi gege even wants to control me making a joke now? You¡¯re overreaching your authority!¡±

    ¡°You......¡± Taizi was very angry. He hated this Third Wangzi who went against him on everything and everywhere.

    Now that he saw him wanting to fight with him for Zi You, he was so angry that he hated that he couldn¡¯t punch his handsome face.

    They were like two roosters fighting as they red at each other. But they suddenly heard someone shouting nauseatingly, ¡°You meimei, you¡¯re finally back.¡±

    The two of them, no, they along with Second Wangzi, Shangguan LingRan, and Zi You looked towards the sound.

    They saw a man wearing ake blue satin embroidered robe. A wide Hetian jade patterned belt was around his waist. A jade hair crown decorated with gold and red was on his head. He draped on a silver silk in brocade cloak. If he didn¡¯t limp or had swollen eyes, he could be a prominent family¡¯s elegant gongzi. This person was the g male Zhao HongXiang.

    Zi You secretly sneered. He was here putting on airs and he really wasted his wolf skin.

    Everyone saw Zi You¡¯s fianc¨¦e over. Their hearts were stifled. Their faces instantly sunk and they no longer spoke.

    Zhao HongXiang¡¯s eyes popped wide open when he saw Zi You. But he knew that he couldn¡¯t go overboard. He quickly went over to greet Old General Mu. ¡°This junior pays respects to grandfather. Wishing grandfather good fortune!¡±

    Zhao HongXiang thought that he was elegant and refined. Although he had a limp, that didn¡¯t prevent women from liking him.

    Especially now that he had entered the Ministry of War under Taizi¡¯s arrangements. He was a fifth-rank minister and his career was on the rise.

    One reason was because he was young. He would also be a titled Duke in the future. He was from Taizi¡¯s camp and he was Old General Mu¡¯s future grandson-inw. His future was limitless.

    Otherwise, why would Yu Lanxuan wholeheartedly want to marry him and affectionately confess to him? ¡°Xiang gege, I just want to be with you. I¡¯m willing, even as a maidservant or a concubine!¡±

    And what about the maidservants in Duke Yongnan fu? Which one didn¡¯t want to be his woman? It could be seen that he was very charming. Other than his slight limp, he was good in all aspects.

    Old General Mu should be very pleased to see his outstanding grandson-inw. He should be very polite to him. Otherwise, if he was aloof like before, Zhao HongXiang wouldn¡¯t bother serving him.

    Shangguan LingRan was angry as soon as he saw Zhao HongXiang. He had already decided to make things difficult for him, so he didn¡¯t speak when he saw Zhao HongXiang bow to him. He just looked at him with eyes that burned like a torch, which gave Zhao HongXiang nowhere to hide.

    Zhao HongXiang was originally a lustful and fickle person. He was almost always in a state of excessive lust, so his waist and legs were always sore. He was angry being stared at by Shangguan LingRan and straightened up.

    Shangguan LingRan instantly and coldly snorted. ¡°Huh! Did this old man tell you to get up? It has been six months since we¡¯ve seen each other. Did you forget how to respect your elders?¡±

    Zhao HongXiang immediately lost all of his patience. He sneered in dissatisfaction. Even his address changed. ¡°Is Old General Mu dissatisfied with this junior? If this junior did something wrong, you can point it out another day. You and You meimei just came back. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±

    It could be said that the only thing Zhao HongXiang was satisfied about Zi You was her appearance. As for everything else, if he was interested in Old General Mu¡¯s prestige before, he didn¡¯t care anymore now.

    That was because Zhao HongXiang had submitted to Taizi and found arger backer. Moreover, ording to what Taizi had privately told him, Taizi seemed to want to seize Old General Mu¡¯s military power. Old General Mu had nothing worthy of his respect or fear anymore. There was a saying that ¡°a hairless phoenix was inferior to a chicken.¡± If Old General Mu didn¡¯t have his military power, he wouldn¡¯t even be as powerful as Yu Lanxuan¡¯s father. So what did Zhao HongXiang have to be afraid of?

    Xuan¡¯er¡¯s father used to be the Minister of Revenue. But he was demoted two ranks because of Yu Meilian¡¯s involvement in Fourth Gongzhu¡¯s matter. But Old General Mu would be inferior to him if he didn¡¯t have his military power.

    Besides, his mother had said, ¡°That Mu Zi You was saved by some expert and had her injuries healed. But who knows if that expert did something to her? If she¡¯s defiled, then we¡¯ll suffer a loss!¡±

    His mother was right. If Mu Zi You¡¯s Shifu really took advantage of her, then wouldn¡¯t he be a sucker?

    Would she still think that she is still so outstanding? Therefore, Zhao HongXiang dared to be so arrogant today.

    ¡°You...... Cough, cough......¡± Shangguan LingRan pretended that he was angered and coughed.

    Zi You hated that she couldn¡¯t go p the g man a few times. But she remembered her n and bowed to Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi. She said apologetically, ¡°Please forgive us, Taizi, Second Wangzi, and Third Wangzi. Grandather is too ill. He can¡¯t stay out in the wind too long. I¡¯m bringing him into the horse carriage.¡±

    She ordered someone to bring Shangguan LingRan into the horse carriage. Then she turned to look at Zhao HongXiang and coldly smiled. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in more than two years. Shizi¡¯s temper has grown, but your manners have not.¡±

    She then lowered the curtain and blocked everyone¡¯s sights.

    On the way into the capital, the streets were filled with people weing the Mu army.

    They knew that Nanjiang was now a county of Great Yan. They knew that when the Mu army was trapped in swamps, the female medical team Commander and Old General Mu¡¯s granddaughter Mu Zi You saved the Mu army at the most critical moment. Hence, everyone wanted to see Zi You.

    The people were very excited. It could be seen that Zi You and Old General Mu were deeply respected and loved by the citizens.

    ¡°I heard that Old General Mu¡¯s granddaughter is an immortal now. When she got to the swamps, she waved her hand and saved the soldiers.¡±

    ¡°A military family¡¯s descendant wouldn¡¯t be bad of course. Just take a look at Old General Mu.¡±

    ¡°But I heard that Old General Mu is ill. He was trapped in the swamps for more than ten days! I heard that there were all sorts of demons and ghosts in the swamps.¡±

    ¡°It would be great if we could see Mu Xiaojie and her immortal Shifu.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    The noise of the crowd outside poured into the horse carriage like a wave. But Zi You and Shangguan LingRan didn¡¯t smile at all.

    Zhao HongXiang¡¯s arrogance and insolence made them detect something abnormal.

    Zi You thought about it and said, ¡°We should take a two-pronged approach. At the same time I dissolve the engagement with Zhao HongXiang, we have to ruin Zhao HongXiang and Yu Lanxuan¡¯s reputations. I want them to wish that they are dead!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan could see deep hatred in Zi You¡¯s eyes. It was the same as when he saw her resentful and vicious gaze at Zhao HongXiang when they were in Zhao HongXiang¡¯s study that time. If she didn¡¯t have a deep hatred for him, YouYou could never dislike someone like this.

    He had known her for so long now and really understood her. She was actually a warm, but cold-faced person. As long as you treated her well, she would dig her heart out for you. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have rushed over without even thinking about it to save Mu YingYi and the soldiers when they were in danger of the sh flood.

    Shangguan LingRan reached out in distress to tightly hold Zi You¡¯s hand. ¡°Why do you hate them so much?¡±

    Zi You was shocked! She then realized that she had no more defenses in front of Shangguan LingRan. All of her emotions were seen by him. This was something that she never even did in front of her grandfather and uncle.

    She was a little nervous. She didn¡¯t know how to tell Shangguan LingRan because she couldn¡¯t guarantee what he would do to her after she told him the truth. She was a ghost who had died unjustly!

    Shangguan LingRan was even sadder to see her frown with her eyes full of grief. He thought of how she didn¡¯t have her mother¡¯s care and how her father was such fickle scum. Even if her grandfather and uncle doted on her, they were military men who fought in wars. How could they be attentive and understand a girl¡¯s thoughts? Although her aunt also cared about her, how could shepare with Zi You¡¯s biological mother?

    Shangguan LingRan then thought about Zhao HongXiang and Yu Lanxuan. One was the son of her grandfather¡¯s friend. One was her stepmother¡¯s niece. YouYou must have been humiliated by them and couldn¡¯t tell her grandfather. That was why she wanted to seek vengeance on her own.

    Shangguan LingRan pulled Zi You into his arms andforted softly, ¡°Don¡¯t say it if you don¡¯t want to say it. YouYou, I will never abandon you no matter what! I will always protect you and never let you suffer any little grievance with me here.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s appearance of ¡°There¡¯s me for everything¡± made Zi You¡¯s cold heart warm up again. She snuggled into his arms, as docile as a kitten.

    She said cowardly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to say it. When the time is right, I will definitely tell you. I just want to say that those two are not good people!¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Zi You hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Shangguan LingRan said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll let those two hateful pests wish that they are dead. I will support you no matter what you do, YouYou!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also that Wang Yiping.¡± Zi You thought of her uncle¡¯s deste appearance and couldn¡¯t help but say rensentfully, ¡°I suspect that it¡¯s her n that that maidservant climbed onto the bed. Only if uncle and aunt are in conflict could she take advantage of the chaos to get the household management back.

    ¡°Only when she has power can she embezzle money from the thousands of acres of farnd and more than a dozen shops in the bustling areas. Duke Yingguo furen is also a moneygrubber. I think that half of Wang Yiping¡¯s sixty-eight dowry boxes are empty.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that easy enough to check?¡± Shangguan LingRan smiled confidently. ¡°Find the real dowry list and it will all be clear. Leave it to me. I will take care of Duke Yingguo furen.¡±

    Zi You looked coquettishly at him and wanted to speak, but couldn¡¯t.

    Shangguan LingRan couldn¡¯t help but reach out to poke her pretty nose. He asked dotingly, ¡°What is it? What can¡¯t you say to me? Is it something difficult to say?¡±

 Chapter 206 - Breathtaking While Indirectly Scolding

    <h4>Chapter 206 Breathtaking While Indirectly Scolding</h4>

    Zi You¡¯s face was red with a hint of bashfulness as she said, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you men. Howe you drink some wine and be dizzy and unable to distinguish between people? Even if you were drugged with that kind of medicine, you will...... will fool around?

    ¡°Besides, since you know that girl has bad intentions, shouldn¡¯t you dispose of her? How can you ept her as a tongfang? I want to lecture him, but he¡¯s my uncle after all. But if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m angry and sad for aunt. It really puts me in a difficult spot.¡±

    There was something else that Zi You didn¡¯t say. She was feeling indignant on ount of her mother. Even till now, her mother was still missing Mu YingYi.

    Shangguan LingRan instantly pouted in grievance when he heard Zi You scolding all men. He protested, ¡°Don¡¯t scold me too, YouYou. I¡¯m telling you that it would never happen if it was me. Not just drunk, but even if I was drugged with your aphrodisiac, I won¡¯t fool around or recognize the wrong person. If there really is such a situation that I cannot control, I rather castrate myself and will never betray you.¡±

    ¡°Bah!¡± Zi You was bashful, angry, and touched. She stared at him coquettishly and said, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? You¡¯re bing so shameless. You really dare to say anything now. If you do it again, I......¡±

    She wanted to say ¡°I won¡¯t care about you anymore.¡± But in the end, she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Shangguan LingRan looked at her blushing like a beautiful and moving begonia in full bloom!

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s breathing stifled. His mouth went dry. He reached out to hold Zi You¡¯s small and delicate chin. He lowly murmured, ¡°YouYou, YouYou......¡±

    Warm air blew over. Zi You looked up and into Shangguan LingRan¡¯s narrow phoenix eyes. His dense affection for her emitted like circles and circles of silk from a silkworm to wrap her in his gaze. She froze. She felt sweet and bashful.

    Shangguan LingRan covered her petal-like lips with his mouth. He felt that this was the most delicious taste in the world. It wasn¡¯t enough no matter how much he tasted it.

    The two people hugged and lingered for a while. The Pce finally appeared in front of them. Zi You red bashfully at the culprit. She quickly touched up her makeup and told Shangguan LingRan, ¡°Carefully imitate grandftaher¡¯s speech and manners. Don¡¯t expose yourself.¡±

    Shangguan LingRan immediately put his mask on and became an ill Old General Mu.

    Zi You carefully checked if anything was wrong. Then they sat and waited.

    At this time in the throne room, Xuanwu Emperor was nervous as he had never been before. He didn¡¯t know how to face Old General Mu and his son, whom he had harmed miserably.

    But then he thought some more. Mu Junyuan and his son were subjects. He was the monarch. Even if he wanted to kill them, they could only obediently acquiesce. What did he have to worry about?

    Hence, he soon looked like everything was expected as a matter of course and waited for Old General Mu to arrive at the throne room.

    But once he saw Zi You, hepletely didn¡¯t care about Old General Mu whom had harmed until he was in a wheelchair. His peach blossom eyes stared at Zi You. His gaze burned as if he wanted to roast Zi You.

    He had always fantasized about what kind of beauty capable of causing the downfall of a country Zi You would be when she grows up. But his eyes still widened in shock when he saw her.

    She did indeed evolve into a blooming flower from a bud. Her skin was milky white, which was different from the usual transparent white and full of temptation. And her eyes were the most beautiful of her facial features. They were deep and bright like a quiet spring. Her eyes elightly drooped, which made her seem more charming. Her figure was slender. Her waist was like a bee¡¯s as if she would break in the wind. But her chest was towering. Although her dress was loose, he could still see the rising peaks......

    They shook with her every step. Her blue dress rippled at her feet like waves. Her body seemed to be endlessly brilliant. She was like the bright moon in the sky. She was precious like white jade beads as well as being elegant and refined. Thousands of people in the throne room and countless beautiful women all seemed inferior.

    Xuanwu Emperor spoke to Old General Mu, but his eyes were on Zi You. He smiled meaningfully. ¡°Please hurry and get up, Old General Mu! It¡¯s been really hard on you, beloved official. Zhen is extremely sad to find out that you¡¯re ill. Is this You¡¯er? Look up and let Zhen take a look.¡±

    Lecher! Shangguan LingRan thought: You obviously saw YouYou¡¯s appreance right now. Why are you taking another look? Why don¡¯t you go blind?!

    He slightly shifted on the wheelchair and blocked half of Zi You¡¯s body. This way, when Zi You looked up, thescivious Emperor could only see the side of her face.

    But the side of her face was still so perfect that one couldn¡¯t even pick out the slightest w. Xuanwu Emperor smiled lecherously. Even his voice was soft and full of gratitude. ¡°Yatou, Zhen should really thank you! If it¡¯s not because of you, Zhen really don¡¯t know how to face your grandfather, uncle, and the soldiers who went to Nanjiang to pacify the rebellion. Zhen really didn¡¯t expect that that Darong Ka was a spy. He made our soldiers suffer such heavy casualties. Zhen really cannot spare him!¡±

    Hisst sentence contained endless anger and hatred. If Mu YingYi didn¡¯t know everything beforehead, he might really be deceived.

    But at this moment, whether it was Zi You or Shangguan LingRan, who had never believed him, or Mu YingYi, they all despised him. They despised the Emperor¡¯s hypocrisy and treachery.

    Zi You sneered and said, ¡°Please calm your anger, Emperor. How would you know that there are such despicable and cunning people in the world? He¡¯s immoral, despicable, and treacherous. So, you don¡¯t need to feel guilty at all.

    ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that the soldiers didn¡¯t die under a sword, but they died from a viin¡¯s plot. That is really a pity! However, that Darong Ka wasn¡¯t much better off. When Chennu saw him, he was dead, but Chennu still told someone to light the skyntern* to appease the dead soldiers in heaven.¡±

    [Lighting the skyntern = cruel ancient punishment, in the prisoners are stripped naked, wrapped with linen, and soaked into the cylinder of oil and wax. They would then be tied upside down on a tall wooden pole. Their feet would then be lit on fire.]

    ¡°Cough, cough......¡± Xuanwu Emperor was guilty, embarrassed, and angry from Zi You¡¯s ¡°immoral, despicable, treacherous, viin, and lighting the skyntern.¡± But he couldn¡¯t say anything. He could only cough to hide it.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s dead! It¡¯s good that he¡¯s dead. It¡¯s not a pity that such a treacherous individual is dead! He dared to lie to the monarch. What a b*stard! He deceived Zhen so badly. Zhen really feels guilty.¡±

    After his reproach, he felt his face turn hot. No matter what, he still felt like he was scolding himself.

    Old General Mu¡¯s voice was choked as he said, ¡°Emperor, how can this be med on you? It¡¯s the treacherous individual who deserves to die! Chen is just sad! If Chen could see through his conspiracy, perhaps those soldiers would not...... Emperor, please punish Chen for causing heavy losses in our army.¡±

    Of course the Emperor could not punish him. He was the one who rmended Darong Ka, so how could Old General Mu see through the spy¡¯s true nature? But someone just had to bring this matter to Old General Mu¡¯s attention. Who was it? It was going to be Wang Yiping¡¯s father: Duke Yingguo.

    His beloved daughter¡¯s legs were wasted from Old General Mu¡¯s beating. She would have been crippled if Darong Ka did not treat her.

    Duke Yingguo didn¡¯t dare to seek justice from Old General Mu for his beloved daughter. He was ruthlessly reprimanded over Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s matter that day. So how could he dare to make trouble with Old General Mu?

    Afterwards, Taizi had gone to find Duke Yingguo and told him, ¡°This Taizi heard that your daughter is crippled. This Taizi really feels that it¡¯s a pity. It was the servants¡¯ fault, but the master is med. No matter what, it¡¯s......¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking, but Duke Yingguo had understood. He originally hated Old General Mu and now he had beaten up his beloved daughter like this. Wasn¡¯t this the equivalent of pping his old face?

    Now, with Taizi¡¯s instigation, Duke Yingguo¡¯s resentment immediately burned like fire. ¡°Taizi, you don¡¯t know how pitiful Chen¡¯s daughter is. A weak woman was beaten with military rods until her legs are wasted. She can¡¯t walk now...... Wuu......¡±

    At the end, Duke Yingguo broke down and started crying.

    Taizi had immediately pretended to rub his eyes that were not tearful at all in sympathy. He had sighed, ¡°Ai...... This Taizi also feels sad. How about this? This Taizi knows a very skilled doctor. Why don¡¯t you let him take a look at your daughter? But...... This Taizi is afraid that Old General Mu won¡¯t allow it. Why don¡¯t you find a way to bring your daughter to your fu?¡±

    Duke Yingguo had been extremely grateful. Soon, he came up with an excuse. He had gone to the General¡¯s Manor and said to Old General Mu, ¡°I want to bring my daughter back to Duke Yingguo fu for a few days. Her yiniang fell ill since she heard that her legs are wasted. She wants her to keep herpany for a few days.¡±

    Old General Mu had been furious. ¡°Are you muddleheaded, Duke Yingguo? Your concubine is ill. What does that have to do with my daughter-inw? You want my daughter-inw to go back and serve your concubine? What aughable joke! You neglecting your wife and spoiling your concubine is your business. Don¡¯te show off in my General¡¯s Manor. Now scram out of here!¡±

    Old General Mu had driven him out mercilessly.

    Finally, Darong Ka had to climb over the wall like a thief in order to treat Wang Yiping¡¯s legs.

    Although he had only treated one leg and the other leg was still a littleme, it was already much better than lying crippled in a wheelchair. Duke Yingguo was very grateful to Taizi, but he hated that old fool Mu!

    Now that there was a chance to retaliate against Old General Mu, Duke Yingguo certainly wouldn¡¯t let it go. He stepped out at this time and pretended to be righteous as he said, ¡°Emperor, Chen thinks that Old General Mu and Mu Xiaojie should be punished. First of all, Mu Xiaojie recovered, but she did not return to the capital and privately went to Nanjiang without your permission, Emperor......¡±

 Chapter 207 - Officials Debate, Taking Action to Dispel Rumors

    <h4>Chapter 207 Officials Debate, Taking Action to Dispel Rumors</h4>

    Duke Yingguo then nced proudly at Old General Mu. He continued attacking, ¡°And then there¡¯s Old General Mu. He is themander of an army, but he didn¡¯t even notice a spy mixed in the army, which resulted in heavy losses in the army. He should be......¡±

    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Before Duke Yingguo finished speaking, the Emperor angrily interrupted him. He almost scolded out loud, ¡®This old fool! Isn¡¯t he scolding Zhen in disguise for not being able to judge a person¡¯s character? Zhen was the one who rmended Darong Ka as a guide to Mu Junyuan.¡¯

    ¡°Yes.¡± Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) pretended to shake his head in shame. ¡°Chen is really to me. Chen thought that since the guide was rmended by you, Emperor, of course Chen wouldn¡¯t suspect that Darong Ka had ulterior motives. Even if there were doubts, the wise Emperor would see through it. Chen didn¡¯t expect...... Ai......¡±

    At this time, all of the officials bowed their heads, except for the foolish Duke Yingguo.

    Think about it. Darong Ka was rmended by the Emperor. The Emperor himself did not notice his true character, so would Old General Mu be able to? What would that mean? Wouldn¡¯t that mean that Old General Mu was smarter than the Emperor?

    Besides, if Old General Mu had really dared to suspect Darong Ka, wouldn¡¯t that mean that he didn¡¯t trust the Emperor?

    If the Emperor actually punished Old General Mu, then that would be the equivalent of pping his own face. Everyone there understood this rationale, but Duke Yingguo was confused and angry that his beloved daughter was beaten and maimed, so he jumped out to instigate the Emperor at this time.

    The Emperor had a bellyful of anger and no ce to vent it. Fine. Since you jumped out, then he would start with Duke Yingguo.

    ¡°Somebody,e!¡± The Emperor shouted and scared all the officials into shivering. ¡°Duke Yingguo is vicious and maligned a loyal official. He is stripped of his Duke¡¯s title and will go back to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors.¡±

    He lost his title!

    ¡°Chen is innocent......¡± Duke Yingguo was dragged out by guards. His shouts still sounded.

    The officials from Taizi¡¯s camp saw that Taizi didn¡¯t say anything, so they didn¡¯t dare to say anything either.

    Second Wangzi saw this and immediately looked at his maternal grandfather ¨C Imperial Censor Lu.

    Imperial Censor Lu knew it was Zi You¡¯s credit that his grandson could stand up and be a normal person again.

    Even him secretly umting power was because he listened to Mu Xiaojie¡¯s advice.

    Now, Second Wangzi ignored Taizi and the others¡¯s suspicion, and asked him to stand in solidarity with Old General Mu must be because he wanted to repay Mu Xiaojie¡¯s grace.

    It was necessary to repay her grace, but the Emperor must not suspect Second Wangzi.

    Imperial Censor Lu wasn¡¯t the head of the imperial censors for nothing. He immediately stepped out and said, ¡°Emperor, Chen thinks that Old General Mu, the Mu army, and Commander Mu should be rewarded. First, Old General Mu, his son, and Commander Mu¡¯s loyalty to the country is very touching. They could get out of a desperate situation and ovee their troubles to sessfully pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang. This proves that Old General Mu, his son, and Commander Mu are worthy of being the bravest, most intelligent, and most loyal soldiers in Great Yan.¡±

    ¡°Emperor really has good insight and intelligence to send Old General Mu and his son to pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang! That Darong Ka¡¯s conspiracy only proves that Nanjiang citizens are cunning, Emperor and Old General Mu are aboveboard people, and Old General Mu is very loyal to you, Emperor.

    ¡°And it is excusable for Commander Mu to recover and didn¡¯t report to you before going for to rescue people in Nanjiang, Emperor. After all, it would take a long time if she returned to the capital and obtained your permission. This dy would dramatically increase our casualties. Commander Mu risked being med by you and didn¡¯t return to the capital prove that she is intelligent and very loyal. She should be rewarded.¡±

    ¡°But there is something that Chen doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Right Imperial Censor Shi was Imperial Censor Lu¡¯s opponent and from the Empress¡¯ camp. He immediately said, ¡°What injuries did Mu Xiaojie receive that she was treated for two years, but she didn¡¯t get better? But she was healed just when Old General Mu was stuck in the swamps?

    ¡°Also, Old General Mu did not receive an imperial edict and secretly attacked Nanjiang and even left the army in Nanjiang. This is clearly defying the imperial will. But Imperial Censor Lu doesn¡¯t want to punish him and instead wants to reward him? What does Imperial Censor Lu mean by this? Are you advocating that all the officials should defy imperial edicts?¡±

    ¡°Imperial Censor Shi is quoting out of context.¡± Imperial Cenor Lu immediately retorted, ¡°Old General Mu was in Nanjiang. Do you or I know about the situation there? It takes two or three months to exchange one letter. The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing. Will it be enough time if he had to wait for the Emperor¡¯s orders?

    ¡°As for Commander Mu¡¯s injuries, serious injuries take a hundred days to recover from, not to mention all the meridians in her body were broken. Your requirements are too high, right?¡±

    Zi You smiled coldly and didn¡¯t answer Imperial Censor Shi¡¯s questions. Instead, she looked at the Emperor. She was secretly thinking, <i>¡®What are you? I have to answer no matter what you ask?¡¯</i>

    The Emperor deliberately smiled and said, ¡°Zhen saw that Old General Mu came back and was so happy that Zhen forgot to ask. Are you injuries healed, You¡¯er?¡±

    Zi You then calmly replied, ¡°You should be able to imagine how much power a big sh flood rushing over is, right, Emperor? All of Chennu¡¯s tendons and meridians were broken. Although Shifu connected them for Chennu, but Chennu is a martial artist. In order to restore Chennu¡¯s martial arts, how can it be done in a mere year?

    ¡°Chenu¡¯s martial arts are still not fully recovered. So, Chennu didn¡¯t immediately rush back to the capital. If Shifu didn¡¯t divine that grandfather was in trouble, how could Shifu leave the mountains and go with Chennu to Nanjiang? Shifu originally practiced ascetism and never interfered in mundane things. But, Shifu repeatedly left the mountains for Chennu. Chennu is really ashamed!¡±

    This ¡°Shifu¡± originally didn¡¯t exist. But if Zi You didn¡¯t exin it this way, what would she do if Xuanwu Emperor wanted to meet her Shifu? She had to block his mouth first.

    But the Empress¡¯ people apparently didn¡¯t want to let Zi You off. Imperial Censor Shi immediately asked, ¡°Since he¡¯s an aloof expert who doesn¡¯t interfere in the mundane world, then why did he make an exception for Mu Xiaojie?¡±

    Zi You still didn¡¯t reply and looked at the Emperor instead. <i>It¡¯s your official who is overstepping his bounds once again. I want to see if you will react.</i>

    Sure enough, the Emperor red in displeasure at Imperial Censor Shi. Then he smiled and said to Zi You, ¡°That¡¯s right. Zhen is also curious. How did you get washed away by a sh flood on Mount Yunmeng that day? And how did your Shifu find out?¡±

    Zi You pretended to shake her head in chagrin. ¡°On Mount Yunmeng that day, Chennu was treating wounded soldiers. Chennu saw the sh flood surging and pushed the soldiers aside, but it was toote to avoid the sh flood, so Chennu was washed away.

    ¡°Shifu calcted that Chennu would be in trouble, so Shifu came to the rescue. Later, Chennu asked Shifu how she found out that Chennu was in trouble. But Shifu¡¯s answer was that ¡®the mysteries of heaven must not be revealed.¡¯ Shifu only told Chennu that she saved me because Chennu could save a lot of people in the future.

    ¡°So, Chennu guessed that Shifu saved Chennu because of the medical skills that could save people in the future. That¡¯s why Shifu epted Chennu as a disciple, treated, and taught Chennu medicine.¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor didn¡¯t have any doubts. After all, Zi You had saved a lot of people. It wasn¡¯t just this time. Zi You had saved a lot of patients thest time at the free medical clinic. The citizens went to the free medical clinic for treatment, but also to inquire about Zi You and the female medical team.

    The Emperor started to speak, but ¡°Old General Mu¡± started coughing uncontrobly. He coughed until his face turned purple. He put his hand over his mouth and couldn¡¯t sit still.

    The Emperor instantly shouted, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you summoning Imperial Doctor Xuan? What are you standing there for?¡±

    Zi You expressed her thanks before sighing. ¡°It¡¯s useless, Emperor. Grandfather originally had a cold. Then he was trapped in the swamps andcked water and medicine. His illness was dragged on for too long. Plus, he didn¡¯t eat anything and Darong Ka gave him a gu. It will be difficult for him to recover. Chennu wants to ask Emperor for a favor. Can you let grandfather rest? Chennu and uncle will answer Emperor¡¯s questions instead.¡±

    ¡°Fuwang.¡± Second Wangzi looked at how Zi You looked worried about Old General Mu and immediately bowed in his wheelchair. ¡°Fuwang, Old General Mu the Mu army, and Commander Mu must be very tired. Why not let them take a rest and ask them questions during the banquet?¡±

    This Second Wangzi! Zi You frowned. He had repeatedly helped her today and it really wasn¡¯t worth it for something that she couldpletely take care of on her own. If the Emperor and the others found out that they were allies, it would be very diffcult for Second Wangzi to do certain things in the future.

    Zi You secretly told Second Wangzi, <i>¡°Be low-key from now on. Act like how you used to act.¡±</i>

    Second Wangzi felt stifled. He lowered his head and didn¡¯t speak anymore. But he was actually very anxious. He had beenpletely cured since half a year ago. Not only could he walk like a normal person, but even that masculine aspect had recovered too.

    Moreover, his martial arts were much higher than before. Even his maternal grandfather had listened to his orders and made certain ns in the government.

    He wanted to stand up and stand by her side to deal with their enemies together. He also wanted to tell her that Old General Mu being trapped in the swamps was Taizi and the Empress¡¯ plot because that Darong Ka was Taizi¡¯s subordinate.

    But he found out toote and didn¡¯t have time to inform Old General Mu about Darong Ka before news came from Nanjiang that Old General Mu and Young General Mu were trapped in the swamps. Disease had taken root in Old General Mu and he was ill now.

    Second Wangzi was anxious, but he was also feeling guilty. He couldn¡¯t wait to immediately see Zi You alone and tell her everything.

    The Emperor was now feeling suspicious about Second Wangzi. His behavior today was so vehement and active in helping Mu Zi You. Did he also like her? <i>Really...... He¡¯s almost disabled. But he dares to covet the woman Zhen likes? Huh!</i>

    The Emperor looked mockingly at Second Wangzi before smiling hypocritically. ¡°In that case, Old General Mu, Young General, and You¡¯er can go rest for a while. Zhen will organize a banquet to wee you back and to celebrate your victory.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Emperor.¡± Zi You bowed and pretended to say yearningly, ¡°Can Chennu first go back to the fu? Chennu has been away from home for more than two years and want to go back to see the family.¡±

    Ayer of mist covered her pair ofrge and bright obsidian eyes, which made it more beautiful and moving.

    Behind her, Rong Qiyan and another female medical team member Qin Yuyao didn¡¯t dare to treat Zi You and the Commander who was ruthless and decisive in Nanjiang as the same person.

    After Zi You spoke, all the officials there thought of the rumors that had spread in the capital¡¯s high society circles and couldn¡¯t help but doubt their credibility.

    What was ¡°Wang Yiping, as Zi You¡¯s stepmother, lives a life of suffering in the General¡¯s Manor. If Mu Zi You didn¡¯t force her, Wang Yiping¡¯s nanny wouldn¡¯t have wanted to harm Mu Zi You and delivered a letter to Shangguan Lingluo. As a result, Old General Mu clearly knew that it wasn¡¯t his daughter-inw¡¯s fault, but still listened to Mu Zi You¡¯s instigation and coldly broke Wang Yiping¡¯s legs¡±?

    The rumors also said, ¡°Mu Zi You is disobedient and unfilial. She pretended to be a ghost so she could hit her father. She¡¯s simply vicious!¡±

    If the rumors were really true, then would Mu Zi You be so anxious to return home to see her ¡°family?¡± And her expression didn¡¯t seem like she was pretending. She looked homesick and couldn¡¯t wait to go back to see her family after being away for so long.

    In reality, Zi You was indeed missing her family, but she wasn¡¯t missing Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui. She was missing Nee Liu and her two cousins.

    Although the wives of Great Yan¡¯s soldiers adhered to feminine virtues and rarely appear in public to wee their husbands back, Nee Liu had always taken her two sons to the hillside above the city gate to wait for her loved ones¡¯ return.

    But today, Zi You had specifically looked at the hillside and didn¡¯t see them.

    Even if her aunt and uncle were quarreling, Zi You had note back for more than two years now. Her aunt should havee to wee her, unless Nee Liu was ill or something serious had happened.

    Her grandfather and uncle had left the fu for nearly half a year. News had spread that they had perished in the swamps. Wang Yiping was also from the Empress¡¯ camp. Zi You wouldn¡¯t believe that this undead cockroach could honestly not cause any trouble even if Zi You was beaten to death.

    So, Zi You had her heart set on returning home. She had to go back and take a look at what the General¡¯s Manor was like now. She couldn¡¯t let Wang Yiping and that scum Mu YingRui¡¯s schemes seed.

    She didn¡¯t even hate Shangguan Lingluo and Darong Ka as much as she hated Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui. After all, she had never trusted Shangguan Lingluo and Darong Ka and treated them like loved ones.

    But Wang Yiping, Mu YingRui, Zhao HongXiang, Yu Lanxuan, and Nee Chen were different. Zi You had once treated them sincerely and treated them as her closest rtives. So, when they betrayed and deceived her, her pain and hatred were bone deep......

    She hated them to the point...... where it would be too cheap for them if they died too easily.

 Chapter 208 - Qingyuanâ€™s Emergency, The Hypocritical Slag Father and Malicious Woman

    <h4>Chapter 208 Qingyuan¡¯s Emergency, The Hypocritical g Father and Malicious Woman</h4>

    Now, the Emperor, the Empress, and Taizi were added to this list of people because they killed too many innocent people. If she didn¡¯t avenge those who died unjustly, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself!

    Mu YingYi was also very anxious! Before he went to war, Nee Liu was still angry with him. Although she had brought their children to send him off, she hadn¡¯t said a word to him. Now that he was back, she wasn¡¯t looking at him from afar on a hillside outside the gate like usual. He was really guilty and regretful. He felt very uneasy like something had happened at home.

    So, Mu YingYi and Zi You both had their hearts set on speeding home.

    They and Shangguan LingRan, who was disguised as Old General Mu, hurried back to the fu. Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui were there with a group of people.

    Zi You took a look. Yu Lanxuan was actually standing next to Wang Yiping, but Zi You didn¡¯t recognize more than half of the people in the crowd. Nee Liu and her two cousins weren¡¯t there, however.

    Something must have happened to Nee Liu and her cousins. Otherwise, it would be impossible that Nee Liu wouldn¡¯t bring her sons out to wee Old General Mu back.

    Zi You was anxious, but that didn¡¯t show on her face. She went over to greet her g father and the malicious woman.

    But before she could move, Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping, with a big belly, quickly looked at each other and went over to greet her first.

    Wang Yiping pretended to rub her eyes excitedly. She didn¡¯t wait for Zi You to curtsy, before she grabbed her hand. She said tearfully, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay, You¡¯er! I heard that you were injured and it was unclear if you would recover. I was so worried that I couldn¡¯t sleep. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay.¡±

    Then she deliberately looked behind Zi You and asked in surprise, ¡°Where is your Shifu? I want to thank him. What kind of expert has such great ability?¡±

    Her drooping single-lidded phoenix eyes constantly roamed sinisterly over Zi You.

    Mu YingRui¡¯s peach blossom eyes also turned. He expressed his gratitude again and again. ¡°Yes, your mother said that we have to thank your Shifu well. We can¡¯t forget his life-saving grace.¡±

    Wang Yiping was so interested in Zi You¡¯s Shifu not because she wanted to thank him like she had said, but it was to ssh dirty water on Zi You.

    As llong as Zi You said that her Shifu was male, they could certainly pour this dirty water on her.

    ¡°Xiaojie.¡± At this time, Zi You heard a woman¡¯s anxious voice. A middle-aged woman rushed over.

    It was Aunt Lan. She cried out, ¡°Xiaojie, hurry and go save him! Qingyuan Shaoye can¡¯t hold on......¡±

    ¡°What?¡± There was a buzz in Zi You¡¯s brain. She couldn¡¯t care about dealing with anyone anymore. She pushed Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui away. She leaped upwards and soon disappeared.

    Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui were extremely frightened! When did this darned girl¡¯s martial arts be so powerful?

    At this time, Nee Liu and her eldest son, Mu Qingheng were crying heartbreakingly.

    Nee Liu was holding her younger son Mu Qingyuan tightly in her arms. The seven-year-old little Qingyuan was ashen. He lied silently in his mother¡¯s arms on hisst breath.

    ¡°Aunt!¡± Nee Liu heard a voice as beautiful as a nightingale. A woman as beautiful and aloof like Chang¡¯e from the Moon Pce was next to her already.

    Nee Liu seemed to be stunned silly. She looked at Zi You and silently let her tears fall, but she couldn¡¯t say a word.

    Zi You looked at her and her heart couldn¡¯t help but pain. Nee Liu was haggard, sallow, and extremely thin.

    She looked at little Qingyuan in her arms and thought, ¡®Not good!¡¯

    She didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to Nee Liu. She took little Qingyuan from her and ced him on the bed. She shouted to Aunt Lan, who had juste in, ¡°Take all the servants and Qingheng Shaoye out. Close the door.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Xiaojie.¡± Aunt Lan took Mu Qingheng and drove all the servants out unceremoniously. ¡°Xiaojie¡¯s orders you all to go outside.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s eyes were vicious. As soon as she came in, she had seen two unfamiliar maidservants with hostile eyes. So, she had issued an eviction order without hesitation.

    The two maidservants were unconvinced and protested, ¡°We¡¯re specially sent her to serve Qingyuan Shaoye by First Laoye and First Furen. First Laoye and First Furen said that we can¡¯t leave. Ouch......¡±

    They didn¡¯t finish speaking, when they were each pped hard by Aunt Lan. Aunt Lan seemed to have a fire in her heart that almost burned her internal organs in thesest few days. She could finally vent this fire out today, so of course she wouldn¡¯t let these two maidservants off.

    Zi You concentrated her spiritual power on her eyes. She saw how little Qingyuan¡¯s lungs were dark in ces. He had stopped breathing and his heart had stopped beating. He had apparently just died from respiratory failure due to severe lung infection.

    She didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest. She raised her palms towards little Qingyuan. A blue beam and a purple beam soon transformed into light waves and covered little Qingyuan¡¯s body.

    After a quarter of an hour, Zi You saw the ckened areas in little Qingyuan¡¯s lungs revert back to a normal person¡¯s red color. He was also breathing and his heart was beating again.

    After another quarter of an hour, little Qingyuan made a ¡°Wuu¡± noise and started crying.

    This sound was tantamount to heavenly music to Nee Liu, who was about to copse over the death of her son. And the sound instantly alerted Mu YingYi, who had heard Uncle Jiang and Nee Liu¡¯s maidservants¡¯ reports of little Qingyuan being ill and currently being treated by Zi You. He was now waiting anxiously outside too.

    One person pounced over to the bed and one person charged through the door. Mu YingYi also pounced over to the bed and called out, ¡°Yuan!¡±

    Little Qingyuan looked dazedly at his mother and his father. There was obvious resentment and grievance in his heart. He was aggrieved and sad and didn¡¯t want either one of them.

    But once he saw Zi You, he reached his arms out and cried out heartbreakingly and gutwrenchingly. ¡°Jiejie, jiejie, wuu......¡±

    Zi You was exceedingly distressed. She bent down and quickly hugged him in her arms.

    The little rascal knew that his jiejie really loved him and he cried and gasped in her arms. He was obviously extremely aggrieved.

    Zi You¡¯s spiritual power could save people, summon wind and rain, cure illnsesses, see through items, and could kill people. But she didn¡¯t have the ability like her great-grandmother Goddess Mari to know the future and the past.

    So, while she was softly coaxing little Qingyuan, she heard ¡°Old General Mu¡± ask angrily, ¡°Who can tell me what is going on?¡±

    Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui saw little Qingyuane back to life after he had been sentenced to death by the imperial doctors yesterday. They couldn¡¯t help but be shocked and angry.

    They looked at each other. Mu YingRui immediately pretended toin and say guiltily, ¡°Why did you have to do this, sister-inw? No one wanted Yuan¡¯er to pay with his life for Hui¡¯er. I told you not to punish him. I told you not to punish him. But you didn¡¯t listen and had to lock him up in the ancestral hall. As a result ¨C Look. Yuan¡¯er almost lost his life. How can I live with myself?¡±

    Nee Liu looked at the hyopocritical Mu YingRui. She was originally on the verge of copse because of her younger son¡¯s death. She was very excited that her son was okay, but she was angered by Mu YingRui now. She sprayed out a mouthful of blood and copsed straight down. Fortunately, Mu YingYi had been next to her. He quickly reached out and supported her.

    Zi You instantly put little Qingyuan on the bed. She pressed down on Nee Liu¡¯s philtrum and Nee Liu woke up.

    She rushed over and hugged little Qingyuan and cried bitterly again.

    Wang Yiping immediately pretended to rub her eyes sadly. She said sorrowfully, ¡°Ai...... Our General¡¯s Manor has had bad lucktely. First, the news that father and brother-inw passed away came from Nanjiang. Then Yuan¡¯er somehow pushed Hui¡¯er, whom Shui Yiniang had given birth to, into the lotus pond and Hui¡¯er died.

    ¡°Shui Yiniang was too sad and turned crazy. Laoye was angry and sad and said some words. Sister-inw then beat Yuan¡¯er and locked him up in the ancestral hall. He had a high fever that night and became unconscious. The imperial doctor came and said that he wouldn¡¯t survive past tonight. I didn¡¯t expect that he will wake up again. Amitabha, Buddha! This is great! Otherwise, Laoye will feel gulty to death.¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly, Hui¡¯er is only two years old, right?¡± Zi You looked deeply at Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping.

    Then she lowered her head and asked little Qingyuan softly, ¡°Tell me, Yuan¡¯er, how did you meet Hui¡¯er by the lotus pond?¡±

    She didnt ask little Qingyuan ¡°Why did you push Hui¡¯er into the lotus pond?¡± This made little Qingyuan get the courage to exin himself.

    Since Hui¡¯er fell into the lotus pond, everyone had asked him, ¡°Why did you push Hui¡¯er into the lotus pond?¡±

    He clearly didn¡¯t push him. Hui¡¯er slipped and fell into the lotus pond. But why did everyone not believe him? Even his mother didn¡¯t believe him. She even beat him and locked him up in the dark ancestral hall.

    As a result, he even saw a terrifying, green-faced, and toothless ghost.

    ¡°Jiejie, Hui¡¯er...... slipped and fell into the lotus pond.¡± Little Qingyuan was extremely aggrieved as he sobbed. ¡°I didn¡¯t push him. That day, he was...... He was ying by the lotus pond. He wanted me to pick...... pick lotus seed pods. I said that it was out of reach, so he went...... went towards the lotus pond. I pulled him back, but who knew...... He slipped. I didn¡¯t hold on tight enough and he fell...... down. Then I...... yelled for someone toe save him. But when those people went down...... and rescued him, he was already dead. Jiejie, I didn¡¯t push him. I didn¡¯t...... I didn¡¯t push him. Why doesn¡¯t...... doesn¡¯t anyone believe...... believe me? Wuu......¡±

    ¡°Who was looking after Hui¡¯er at that time?¡± Zi You absolutely didn¡¯t believe that there were no servants around Hui¡¯er. So, she asked, ¡°There has to be someone looking after a two-year-old child near the lotus pond, right? Aunt Lan, bring the servants who were serving Hui¡¯er over. Also, summon the servants who were serving Yuan¡¯er over......¡±

 Chapter 209 - Malicious Scheme Revealed, Zi You Skillfully Sows Dissension

    <h4>Chapter 209 Malicious Scheme Revealed, Zi You Skillfully Sows Dissension</h4>

    Aunt Lan shook her head angrily. ¡°Xiaojie, the servants around Hui Shaoye all said at the time that Qingyuan Shaoye pushed Hui Shaoye. And Qingyuan Shaoye¡¯s servants all said that he did not push Hui Shaoye. Shui Yiniang was so distressed that her son had died that she immediately fainted.

    ¡°So, First Laoye was angry and killed all of Qingyuan Shaoye¡¯s servants. He also said: ¡®You deserve it. Who let you be my Mu YingRui¡¯s child and not Mu YingYi¡¯s child? His life is noble, so you asked for it even if you died!¡¯

    ¡°Second Furen picked up the feather duster and beat Qingyuan Shaoye. Then she locked Qingyuan Shaoye up in the ancestral hall. I was worried, so I snuck inside the ancestral hall. Qingyuan Shaoye had already fainted and was mumbling nonsense. ¡®Ghost...... Ghost......¡¯

    ¡°I felt that Qingyuan Shaoye¡¯s body was hot, so I quickly took him outside and called Second Furen over.¡±

    ¡°What day did this happen?¡± Zi You asked.

    ¡°Seven days ago,¡± Aunt Lan replied.

    Seven days ago? How quickly they took action. Seven days ago was the day that the Emperor had received news that Zi You and the others were returning to the capital. Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping had immediately sent them this big ¡°gift¡± to wee their return.

    Great! If Zi You didn¡¯t give them a gift in return, then she really would be letting down their kind regards.

    It could be seen that in two years, this g male and malicious woman not only didn¡¯t change, but instead became more poisonous.

    In order to scheme against his brother, the coldblooded and ruthless beast Mu YingRui could even use his own son.

    What Zi You could think of, Shangguan LingRan could naturally think of too. He immediately said darkly to Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui, ¡°Leave with everyone else. Come to the studyter, YingRui.¡±

    After they left, Mu YingYi, Shangguan LingRan, and Zi You immediately looked at Nee Liu.

    Mu YingYi¡¯s guilt and remorse made him feel ashamed. He softly whispered to Nee Liu, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I made you suffer.¡±

    ¡°Wuu......¡± Nee Liu couldn¡¯t help but cried loudly.

    Zi You went over to pull Shangguan LingRan and Aunt Lan over to Old General Mu¡¯s study.

    In the study, Zi You said to Aunt Lan, ¡°Tell me everything that happened in the house after grandfather and uncle left.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Aunt Lan instantly and carefully told Zi You everything that had happened after Old General Mu left.

    Zi You already knew what happened before her grandfather left. She and Shangguan LingRan just didn¡¯t know about what happened after he left.

    That was because Shangguan LingRan had left for India and then gone on to Nanjiang. He had been thousands of miles away from the capital. It would have taken too long tomunicate.

    Aunt Lan spoke with anger. The more Zi You heard, the angrier she was. So things were like this.

    Since the news of Old General Mu¡¯s defeat in Nanjiang hade, Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui had begun to n and scheme to take back Nee Liu¡¯s management power.

    First, Wang Yiping had pretended to be drugged and almost miscarried. She went to argue with Nee Liu, ¡°I finally got pregnant. Laoye and I naturally pay special attention to everything. I checked and checked everything I eat, wear, and use in my courtyard again and again. It is impossible that someone drugged me.

    ¡°But I was almost harmed. I thought about it. Only when we¡¯re eating together can someone do something. Sister-inw, you are in charge of this household. What are you going to do?¡±

    Nee Liu was very angry. But since she and Mu YingYi had quarreled and and Mu YingYi had epted the bed-climbing Yueluo as a tongfang, her heart had been a mess. So how could she bother fighting with Wang Yiping?

    Hence, she had said to her, ¡°Since you¡¯re worried, why don¡¯t I allocate all the money back to the first household* and let you cook and take care of everything yourself?¡±

    [First household = firstborn child¡¯s family i.e. Mu YingRui and his wives and children. Second household = secondborn child¡¯s family i.e. Mu YingYi and his wife and children]

    Wang Yiping had pretended to make trouble. ¡°What do you mean? Something happened and you don¡¯t even give me an exnation, but you just kick our first household out, while you live your ownfortable life? In that case, how can you divide the household like that? Why don¡¯t you give us a share of the thousands of acres of farnd and shops?¡±

    Nee Liu had been shocked. She couldn¡¯t help but angrily ask, ¡°What do you mean? Do you want to divide the household? But father is still alive. If you want to divide the household, you have to wait until fatheres back. Those are father¡¯s properties. I don¡¯t have the right to distribute them.¡±

    ¡°So you also know that they are father¡¯s properties?¡± Wang Yiping had sneered mockingly. ¡°Since they¡¯re father¡¯s properties, then his eldest son should be in charge of them when father isn¡¯t here. But you¡¯re holding onto them so tightly. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean father isn¡¯t here?¡± Nee Liu heard her cursing her father-inw and didn¡¯t let her get away with it of course. ¡°Father just went to pacify the rebellion. What? Do you want to take advantage of him going to pacify the rebellion and take over his property? Are you still human?¡±

    Mu YingRui had then shed all pretence of cordiality and scolded Nee Liu. ¡°You¡¯re shameless! I am father¡¯s son. I am the eldest son of General¡¯s Manor. You have been in charge of the General¡¯s Manor for so many years and received so many benefits. Now, you don¡¯t want to let go of it. Do you think we are fools? Does the second household want to take over father¡¯s property?¡±

    Nee Liu had had a smooth life for so many years. Even Old General Mu had rarely scolded her. Now that she was scolded like this by her brother-inw, she knew that they wanted to take advantage of her husband and father-inw¡¯s absence to snatch property away. She was so angry that she trembled. She no longer wasted words with Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping.

    She had righteously said, ¡°I know what you mean. But father isn¡¯t here right now. Before he left, he handed this household over to me, so I¡¯m going to watch over this houseold. If you want to take it over or grab it, then tell father when hees back.¡±

    Then she had told Aunt Lan and two servants who knew martial arts, ¡°Send First Laoye and First Furen out!¡±

    Nee Liu was so decisive that Mu YingRui and Wang Yiping had fumed with anger. So they had begun to make trouble. Aunt Lan was so angry that her lips quivered. ¡°During that period of time, either something happened in the shops or the crops in the farnds were destroyed. Then servants caused trouble. That tongfang Yueluo told Second Furen that she was pregnant.

    ¡°Second Furen couldn¡¯t handle so many things at once and became ill. At this time, news came that Lao TaiYe and Second Laoye are missing in the swamps. Second Furen became even more ill. But she held on desperately.

    ¡°That was until Hui Shaoye¡¯s ident. At that time, First Laoye had pointed to Second Furen¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡®Liu Siyu, you malicious woman! Even if you hate me, you can¡¯t take it out on a child. You actually instigated your son to drown my son? He¡¯s only two years old. How can you do it? If your son doesn¡¯t pay with his life, I will fight you!¡¯

    ¡°Second Furen had no choice but to beat up Qingyuan Shaoye and lock him up in the ancestral hall. Lao TaiYe and Xiaojie know about what happened next.¡±

    ¡°When you saw Qingyuan Shaoye, he shouted ¡®ghost,¡¯ right?¡± Zi You asked. Aunt Lan nodded. ¡°Qinyuan Shaoye was still very scared when he woke up. At night, he gets so scared that he leaves the light on and won¡¯t let anyone leave.¡±

    At this time, someone knocked on the door.

    Shangguan LingRan used Old General Mu¡¯s dignified voice to say, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Mu YingRui came inside and knelt to Shangguan LingRan. He squeezed out two crocodile tears and said, ¡°Father, You¡¯er, you finally came back...... Father, I was worried to death! I couldn¡¯t sleep well because I was afraid that you and brother and wouldn¡¯te back. What happened? Why were there news of you and brother missing in the swamps?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan looked at Mu YingRui for a quarter of an hour, which him made break out into a cold sweat. He then sneered and said, ¡°You can¡¯t sleep because you¡¯re afraid that if this old man doesn¡¯t die, you won¡¯t be able to take over the family property, right?¡±

    Mu YingRui red fiercely at Aunt Lan. He pretended to be aggrieved and falsely used. He shouted, ¡°Father, your son is falsely used! This darned woman has been bribed by sister-inw, so how can you believe her?

    ¡°Yes, Hui¡¯er passed away, so I lost my mind and said some harsh things, but I regretted it afterwards. I heard that Yuan¡¯er was critically ill, so I went to the Pce to invite an imperial doctor here. I nned on not pursing this matter anymore, but someone wouldn¡¯t let things go.

    ¡°While Ping¡¯er is pregnant, Nee Liu asked people to put abortion-inducing medicine in the food, but why don¡¯t you care, father? Nee Liu embezzled funds, but why don¡¯t you ask about that, father? Father, I am also your son. Hui¡¯er was also your grandson. You can¡¯t......¡±

    ¡°Mu YingRui, don¡¯t nder people!¡± Nee Liu pushed open the door and came inside. She pointed to Mu YingRui and angrily scolded, ¡°There are ledgers to show how I manage the shops and farnds. When did I embezzle funds? When did I tell someone to put abortion-inducing medicine in the food?

    ¡°Don¡¯t use your viinous heart to use a gentleman. You wanted to embezzle the property while your father was away. You tried all sorts of schemes and used all sorts of means. You don¡¯t even want your own son¡¯s life. How can there be such a heartless father like you in the world?¡±

    Nee Liu then knelt in front of Shangguan LingRan and cried. ¡°Father! Fortunately, you and YingYi are back. If not...... I and your grandsons would have been forced to death......¡±

    ¡°You......¡± Mu YingRui pretended to look angry as he pointed to Nee Liu. ¡°You¡¯re ady from a noble household. How can ady talk to her brother-inw like this?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Shangguan LingRan (Old General Mu) mmed his hand down on the table in anger. He scolded, ¡°You have the cheek to scold your sister-inw? When your father and brother went to Nanjiang, not only did you not take good care of your sister-inw and nephews, but you also used all sorts of ways to snatch money and property.

    ¡°How did this old man raise such an unrighteous, ungrateful, and unfilial thing? Fortunately your brother and I are back. If we didn¡¯te back, wouldn¡¯t you have driven your sister-inw out of the house?

    ¡°I thought that after thest lesson, you and Nee Wang would really change. I didn¡¯t expect that you were just acting in front of me. When you heard that I wasing back, not only did you not worry about mine and your brother¡¯s safety and take good care of your sister-inw and nephews, but you used all sorts of schemes instead. You beast!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan picked up the inkstone on the table and threw it.

    When it was about to hit Mu YingRui, Zi You¡¯s finger gently flicked. The inkstonended on Mu YingRui¡¯s shoulder.

    This was a y that she and Shangguan LingRan were acting out. If ¡°Old General Mu¡± angrily punished his son, as his daughter, Zi You had to dissuade Old General Mu. Also, she could not let her g father be hurt in such an obvious ce like his head or his face. If this was spread out, Old General Mu would called heartless because he injured his son on the first day that he came back home.

    Shangguan LingRan deliberately hit Mu YingRui¡¯s head and Zi You deliberately went to save him, so that the g father couldn¡¯t me his daughter for not pleading for mercy for him. And although the inkstone hit just his shoulder, Zi You might have decreased her power so as not to leave bruises on her g father, but her spiritual power had shot into Mu YingRui¡¯s Jianjing acpucunture point. Within three days, Mu YingRui¡¯s left shoulder would hurt so much that he wouldn¡¯t be able to life his arm up.

    Zi You deliberately went over to her g father and asked in concern, ¡°Are you okay, father? Did it hit you?¡±

    Mu YingRui clearly did not expect that Zi You would help him. He froze for a moment before shaking his head.

    Zi You secretly sneered. She said to ¡°Old General Mu,¡± ¡°Grandfather, don¡¯t me father. I think that father isn¡¯t so ruthless. If the matter of him forcing his sister-inw out of the house while you and uncle are pacifiying the rebellion spreads out, he couldn¡¯t be an official anymore. Is there some misunderstanding? Can you let me talk to father alone?¡±

    ¡°Old General Mu¡± waved his hand. Zi You immediately pulled Mu YingRui into a side room in Songtao Courtyard.

    She pretended to look at Mu YingRui in concern. ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you tell grandfather who instigated you? This person clearly has bad intentions and wants to drive a wedge in our General¡¯s Manor.

    ¡°Think about it. Would grandfather spare you if you did such a thing? He would certainly drive you out of the house. The Emperor values filial piety the most. If those imperial censors find out about this, can you still be an official? If that happens, have you thought about what will happen to you, father?¡±

    Mu YingRui froze and started to proim his innocence, ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t listen to that Lan woman. She is from Nee Liu¡¯s side. Will she say anything good about us from the first household?¡±

    Zi You shook her head and pretended to look displeased at Mu YingRui. ¡°Father, do you think that grandfather is a fool? As long as he asks some servants or investigates, the truth will be revealed.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have used such a stupid way to seize property for our first household. Don¡¯t you want to live anymore? Do you want everyone to know that you¡¯re heartless and ruthless? Who gave you this bad idea? Isn¡¯t this person harming you and our first household?¡±

    Mu YingRui was a little hesitant with Zi You saying ¡°our first household.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to look confidently at Zi You, as if he was asking, ¡°Why are you suddenly close to me and not your uncle after being gone for two years?¡±

 Chapter 210 - Slag Father Falls Into the Trap

    <h4>Chapter 210 g Father Falls Into the Trap</h4>

    Zi You looked at his expression and couldn¡¯t help but secretly sneer. However, she pretended to look even more displeased and shook her head. ¡°Father, you don¡¯t have to doubt me. I¡¯ve grown up now. How can I not understand that yours and my interests are the same? I was just too stupid before.

    ¡°You will be providing my dowry when I get married in the future. Would uncle and aunt give my cousins¡¯ property to me? How can I not be clear on this matter? Grandfather¡¯s health is too poor right now. If something really happens to him and you are driven out of the General¡¯s Manor by him, then who will I rely on in the future?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er, you¡¯re very right about that.¡± Mu YingRui finally understood at this moment why Zi You had changed.

    He quickly whispered, ¡°I thought the same thing. I thought that all of your grandfather¡¯s property is in the hands of your uncle and aunt. I am unreconciled.¡±

    ¡°So, you did such a muddleheaded thing?¡± Zi You looked like she hated iron for not being steel. ¡°If aunt released your words and deeds outside, you won¡¯t be an official anymore. Uncle obtained military achievements, so the Emperor will reward him. If uncle tells the Emperor how you threatened aunt, the Emperor certainly will not let you off. And then if grandfather gets angry and drives you out of the General¡¯s Manor, then our first household will bepletely finished!¡±

    Mu YingRui was easily persuaded by other people the most. He was panicked now that Zi You fanned the mes. He immediately asked, ¡°Then what do you think I should do now?¡±

    He hated Wang Yiping in his heart now. It was all that cheap wench¡¯s fault! She had said, ¡°While father and brother-inw aren¡¯t here, we should seize the household management power. Laoye, you don¡¯t know this, but do you know how much benefits Nee Liu can get from brocades and silks in the shops¡¯ and the fruits and vegetables in the farnds?

    ¡°Bieqie is not willing to let that cheap woman get all the benefits! Now that Bieqie is pregnant, how can we not n for our son? We have to take what we can. We have to quickly seize the power while father and brother-inw aren¡¯t here!¡±

    Mu YingRui had been worried. ¡°If we do that, won¡¯t father and brother punish us when they get back?¡±

    ¡°Come back?¡± Wang Yiping had sneered. ¡°Nanjiang¡¯s georgraphical environment isplex. Do you think that it¡¯s easy to pacify a rebellion? Let¡¯s not talk about whether they are sessful or not. But even if they are sessful, can theye back in four or five months? We might hear news of their defeat instead.

    ¡°We need to hurry and seize the household management power quickly. Then we will get rid of all the servants loyal to the second household and rece them with our servants. Even if the old man cane back, all the servants will speak up for us. All of the evidence will be on our side. If the old man wants to punish us, we¡¯ll shout our innocence and injustice. Even he will be disgraced then.¡±

    Mu YingRui had agreed and started to take action.

    Zi You saw that Mu YingRui was convinced, so she immediately lit the fuse. ¡°The only way out is to find a person to take the me. Say that you listened to the instigation of someone who had ulterior motives. That¡¯s why you did such muddleheaded things.¡±

    ¡°Take the me?¡± Mu YingRui said, ¡°No one instigated me. It¡¯s all your mother¡¯s fault. She just can¡¯t stand seeing the second household in power.¡±

    Sure enough, it was her. Zi You secretly sneered. She pretended to look hesitant and awkward as she said, ¡°This...... Father...... There are some things...... that I don¡¯t know if I should say.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s expression sessfully aroused Mu YingRui ¡®s suspicion. He instantly asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    Zi You looked even more awkward and she shook her head. ¡°I really don¡¯t dare to say it. I¡¯m afraid that father...... Father won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mu YingRui was obviously anxious as he asked in concern. Although he looked somewhat incredulously at Zi You, his eyes were still fretful. ¡°That¡¯s not right. You haven¡¯t been in the capital for more than two years, so what can you know?¡±

    ¡°I know about this a long time ago.¡± Zi You replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s because I know so I had grandfather make such arrangements. It was supposed to be for your benefit, father. I wanted to hide it from you so that you won¡¯t get hurt, but I wanted to hide it from grandfather even more so that he wouldn¡¯t kill mother out of anger. But you resented me even more, didn¡¯t you, father? Ai...... Father, you were so foolish! You¡¯ve been deceived.¡±

    Indeed, Zi You hesitating and speaking without really saying anything had a much better effect than her directly exposing Wang Yiping¡¯s true nature.

    Otherwise, if she told her g father that Wang Yiping was having an affair, Mu YingRui certainly wouldn¡¯t believe it. But when she looked hesitant and had trouble saying it, Mu YingRui¡¯s curiosity was piqued instead.

    At this time, his curiosity was at its peak, so he couldn¡¯t help but roar, ¡°Hurry and say it. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Zi You pretended to look sorrowfully at him. ¡°Do you remember Liu Yanhong, father?¡±

    ¡°Liu Yanhong?¡± Mu YingRui¡¯s scar had healed, but he couldn¡¯t remember the pain. He immediately remembered the maidservant who had climbed onto his bed, which caused him to almost be expelled from the General¡¯s Manor.

    He was angry and said in dissatisfaction, ¡°Why did you ask that? Didn¡¯t she run away from the fu already?¡±

    Zi You shook her head. ¡°She didn¡¯t run away, but mother had sent someone to poison her to death. I saved her. I saved her because I didn¡¯t want a dead person to bring bad luck to the General¡¯s Manor during the New Year. But Liu Yanhong told me that mother wanted to poison her because she knew about mother¡¯s secrets from Duke Yingguo fu. She said......¡±

    Zi You looked awkwardly at Mu YingRui and shook her head without speaking.

    ¡°Said what?¡± Mu YingRui urged anxiously. His expression was already very ugly.

    ¡°She said ¨C ¡± Zi You deliberately replied resentfully. ¡°She said that before mother married you, mother and...... her fifth brother and Imperial Doctor Qin...... had an affair. She could marry father because they hatched a scheme together.

    ¡°Orignally, I didn¡¯t believe it, but I remembered mother and her fifth brother being bitten by a snake in Duke Yingguo fu that day. I started to have doubts. You know that mother is acquainted with Imperial Doctor Qin. If they were mere acquaintances, why did Imperial Doctor Qin want to hurt me in the Pce that time? And mother and her fifth brother¡¯s clothing were indeed disheveled when they came out of her yiniang¡¯s room.

    ¡°Liu Yanhong also said that mother had been taking contraceptive soup to avoid pregnancy. And the contraceptive soup was likely to cause infertility. That¡¯s why mother had a hard time getting pregnant and had to take medicine to nourish her body.¡±

    Mu YingRui originally didn¡¯t believe it. But then he thought about how Wang Yiping was very skilled and wild in the matters between men and women. Then he thought of how Imperial Doctor Qin had stared lustfully at Wang Yiping when he came to treat Zi You. Mu YingRui started to believe Zi You.

    He couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±

    ¡°Daughter didn¡¯t dare.¡± Zi You pretended to be upset as she replied, ¡°At that time, you listened to mother¡¯s instigation and was unhappy with me. So, how could I have told you? Besides, you need to find the stolen goods when catching a thief and catch them in the act when exposing adulterers. There was no evidence, so how could I have listened to Liu Yanhong¡¯s one-sided story?

    ¡°But I thought more and more that it didn¡¯t make sense. Think about it. As long as motheres up with a n for you, you will suffer. Which one of your beatings wasn¡¯t rted to her? So, I thought more and more that she isn¡¯t thinking on your behalf. No, to be precise, she¡¯s trying to turn the whole General¡¯s Manor chaotic.

    ¡°So, I suspect that she married you with ulterior motives! When the nest is upset, no legg is left intact. If the General¡¯s Manor copses, what benefits can you get, father? If I guessed right, father and aunt¡¯s conflict this time is her masterpiece, right? Have you ever wondered whether grandfather would let you off if something happened to aunt and cousin? It would be the end of you if grandfather drives you out of the house. And the General Manor¡¯s reputation would be damaged because you were driven out. Grandfather would also be sad. Who would be the one to benefit if grandfather copses?¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s face constantly changed as he listened to Zi You. In the end, his face was ashen.

    Zi You looked at his face and knew that he believed 70% of her words. She knew that Wang Yiping absolutely would not tell Mu YingRui about her collusion with the Empress and Taizi.

    Wang Yiping must have certainly received the news that Old General Mu and Mu YingYi could note back. That was why she dared to be so arrogant towards Nee Liu.

    Zi You could immediately and instantly take care of Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui and kill them even without leaving any evidence. But she wanted them to fall apart and experience being betrayed by their closest person. Then Zi You would thoroughly discredit them and let them live in pain.

    Mu YingRui had taken the bait now. She just needed to fan the mes. Zi You thought of this and calmly and slowly said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m just guessing. There¡¯s no evidence. Let me ask you. Does mother go back to Duke Yingguo fu a lot?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Mu YingRui thought of how she dressed up enchantingly every time. It was as if he could see her and Wang Shengmin doing that illicit act. He furiously scolded, ¡°That slut! If she dares to make me a cuckold, I¡¯ll kill her!¡±

    You¡¯ve already been a cuckold many times! Zi You secretly sneered. She slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to get evidence. How about this? If you trust me, father, I¡¯ll go make the arrangements. If something is really wrong with mother, I¡¯ll tell you and let you see the truth.¡±

    ¡°But what about your grandfather?¡± Mu YingRui asked somewhat fearfully. He was d that Zi You blocked it for him and didn¡¯t let the inkstone hit his head. Otherwise, his head certainly would have burst open.

 Chapter 211 - The Truth Behind Mu YingYi and Nee Liuâ€™s Conflict

    <strong>Chapter 211 The Truth Behind Mu YingYi and Nee Liu¡¯s Conflict </strong>

    ¡°I¡¯ll go plead with grandfather.¡± Zi You didn¡¯t hesitate to say, ¡°I¡¯ll tell grandfather that you were instigated, realizes it, and repents now. But for grandfather to believe it, you should tell me who is the person who went to damage the farmsteads and the shops. If you don¡¯t push out a scapegoat, he won¡¯t believe you. Besides, grandfather will find out sooner orter. It¡¯s better to exin it now, so grandfather can forgive you.¡±

    ¡°How will I know who caused damage to the farmsteads and shops?¡± Mu YingRui shook his head, as if he was quite vexed that he was yed by Wang Yiping.

    Zi You thought about it and beckoned him. She whispered something to him before saying, ¡°Think carefully about what I said, father. Don¡¯t be deceived again. Oh, yes. Go back and prepare to participate in the celebration banquet in the Pce tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll definitely go.¡± Mu YingRui grinned happily.

    His daughter was honoring him. Otherwise, as a fifth-rank official, he wasn¡¯t qualified to participate in such a banquet in the Pce.

    Zi You coldly smiled when she saw her g father happily leaving. She then went to her grandfather¡¯ study and said to Shangguan LingRan, Mu YingYi, and the crying Nee Liu, ¡°It really is that woman making trouble. Aunt, that Yueluo was probably bribed by her. The more you and uncle fight, the happier that woman will be.¡±

    Nee Liu froze. She wiped her tears guilty and said to Mu YingYi, ¡°YingYi, that¡¯s my fault. It looks like we really fell into that woman¡¯s trap. Now that I think about it, my Qi¡¯er was probably used by someone that night. She heard two maidservants say that they saw Yueluo go into your study and didn¡¯te out.

    ¡°I was worried as soon as I heard it. That darned girl Yueluo is pretty and has high ambitions. I think that she already likes you. I was anxious, angry, and worried, so I rushed to your study.¡±

    Nee Liu started to cry harder. She told Zi You, ¡°Your uncle was furious and immediately said that he will take responsibility for Yueluo and take her as a tongfang. I was angry and fought with your uncle.¡±

    Zi You looked at her uncle. His head was bowed, as if he clearly regretted this matter. She asked, ¡°Then why was uncle drunk that night and went to the study?¡±

    Nee Liu looked at Mu YingYi and then at Shangguan LingRan. She was slightly embarrassed as she asked, ¡°Can I talk to You¡¯er alone?¡±

    Shangguan LingRan imitated Old General Mu and waved his hand.

    Zi You went with Nee Liu to a side room. Nee Liu grabbed Zi You¡¯s hands and gratefully and guilty said, ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m ipetent. You came back, but there¡¯s not even one moment of peace. First, you saved Yuan¡¯er and now you¡¯re worried about me. I really didn¡¯t think that I would still be alive to see you. I thought......¡±

    Nee Liu started to cry sorrowfully again.

    Zi You patted her hand and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, aunt. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re back now. No one will dare to bully you anymore. I want to ask you why you and uncle fought and why he went to sleep in the study.¡±

    Nee Liu shook her head regretfully. ¡°That¡¯s my fault. You got into an ident that day and your grandfather and uncle just recovered from a serious illness. They were already unhappy, but I went to bother him for my cousin and cousin-inw. Something else also happened that day. I always knew that your uncle likes...... likes your mother.

    ¡°Truthfully speaking, I was jealous and resentful towards your mother. But after I married, your mother treated me sincerely. I couldn¡¯t hate her even if I wanted to. Now that I think about it, Yueluo must have had other thoughts early on. She always encouraged me to fight with your mother. She finally stopped after I severely reprimanded her.

    ¡°As a result, those days were around the anniversary of your mother¡¯s death. I know that your mother went back to India and didn¡¯t die, so I wasn¡¯t very sad. That night, I was talking to your uncle about Ruixue and Taizi. But your uncle was furious after a few words. He shouted, ¡®Do you know what day today is? Dier left us for six years and two days now. Do you know how sad I am? I let down her trust in me and didn¡¯t take care of You¡¯er. Aren¡¯t you worried about You¡¯er? You bother me all the time about your cousin and his fu¡¯s matters. I had enough!¡¯¡±

    ¡°You¡¯er, at that time...... I really regret saying those hurtful things to him. I said, ¡®Are you worried about You¡¯er or are you missing You¡¯er¡¯s mother? If you really can¡¯t let her go, why don¡¯t you go look for her in India? Why did you marry me? What do you think I am? You sleep next to me, but you think about another woman?¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m sorry. Actually, I haven¡¯t felt well thesest few years. I always feel sorry to your mother. I thought that I stole her happiness. But when I see how much your uncle misses her and even calls out her name in his sleep, I ¨C I¡¯m resentful. Am I not sad? I love him too! I want his love, but he only gives me respect and not love......¡±

    Nee Liu¡¯s tears fell down. She looked like she was in pain as she wept.

    Zi You didn¡¯t try to persuade her. She merely reached out a hand to gently stroke her back and wordlesslyfort her.

    Truthfully speaking, she couldn¡¯t judge who was right and who was wrong among the three people. Her mother made the biggest sacrifice. In order to fulfill Nee Liu, she gave up her happiness and met her beast-like father. It could be imagined how much pain her mother was in!

    But she couldn¡¯t me her uncle. Her uncle was a righteous person. In order not to ruin Nee Liu¡¯s life, he forcefully suppressed his emotions. He was also very respectful to Nee Liu after marriage.

    But as Nee Liu said, she wanted uncle¡¯s love and not his respect. Nee Liu also felt aggrieved.

    s! In the end, it was impossible to draw conclusions on who was right and who was wrong. But if none of them were wrong, none of them were happy either.

    Let¡¯s talk about her mother. She could stay in the Indian God Realm and be worshipped by millions of people. But when Zi You talked to her, her mother would inquire about her uncle from time to time. It could be see that her mother did not forget her uncle.

    Zi You didn¡¯t know how to persuade her aunt. She was just d that she and Shangguan LingRan loved each other without another person in the middle.

    It was also because he wholeheartedly loved her that her great-grandmother Goddess Mari would approve of them. Otherwise, perhaps she would be like her mother and be forced to stay in the Indian God Realm.

    Nee Liu cried for a while before she gradually stopped. She continued talking about what had happened that night. ¡°Your uncle mmed the door shut and went to the study. He drank a lot of wine in the study. I was worried, so I sent Qi¡¯er to take a look. Qi¡¯er came back and told me that she heard two maidservants say that Yueluo went into the study and didn¡¯te out. I was muddleheaded and didn¡¯t take anything else into consideration.

    ¡°I took Qi¡¯er and Shu¡¯er to the study to catch them in the act. When we got there...... I was so angry that I scolded him regardless of anything. ¡®Mu YingYi, you¡¯ve really let me down. You¡¯re actually fooling around with my maidservant in the study.¡¯

    ¡°Your uncle seemed a little dazed. He saw that it was me with the maidservants and I was about to hit Yueluo. He shouted, ¡®Scram out of here. Can¡¯t I ¨C Can¡¯t I take a tongfang......?¡¯

    ¡°As soon as I heard that, I was so angry that I immediately rushed out. But I smelled an aphrodisiac incense in the study. I think that your uncle had fallen into a trap. But your uncle didn¡¯t take the initiative to exin it to me and I didn¡¯t want to lower my stance. Like this, I didn¡¯t make up with him, even when your uncle left.¡±

    Zi You shook her head and said, sincerely and earnestly, to Nee Liu, ¡°Aunt, this matter is all that maidservant Yueluo¡¯s fault. But she didn¡¯t make a move before probably because she had no confidence. Now, she had this opportunity and someone was helping her along from behind and even gave her an aphrodisiac incense. So, how can Yueluo not grasp this opportunity?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Nee Liu¡¯s mind was very clear now. She also realized that something was wrong. ¡°Now that you said it, I also think that her aphrodisiac incense is strange. Did she already bought and prepared it?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s eyes were deep as she said, ¡°Aunt, I will investigate this matter. Don¡¯t worry about it. Just regain your energy and take care of the General¡¯s Manor. Then you should have a good talk with uncle and get things out in the open. Don¡¯t quarrel anymore. It would only make that vicious woman happy.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Shui Yiniang now. If it¡¯s not because of me, she wouldn¡¯t......¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Nee Liu felt really guilty. Zi You just came back and had to take care of her. If she was smarter and didn¡¯t make a mess of the household, would You¡¯er worry less?

    ¡°Xiaojie!¡± Zi You walked outside and saw her four first-rank maidservants kneeling in front of her. Her nanny Nanny Lou stood behind them. Everyone was crying with tears all over their faces.

    ¡°Nanny, Shiyun, Moyun, Haiyun, Shuiyun.¡± Zi You was also very excited to see her nanny and four first-rank maidservants who were as close as sisters to her.

    She was even more sincerely grateful to grandfather. Grandfather knew that if she and her uncle weren¡¯t here, as the mistress of the first household, Wang Yiping wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to Nee Liu. But she might not be afraid to dispose of Youran Ju¡¯s and Zi You¡¯s maidservants and nanny under her management.

    Hence, Old General Mu had let Wang Yiping out and hoped that she changed for the better, but he still wasn¡¯t sure about her. Thus, he had sealed Youran Ju and Hundred Herb Garden.

 Chapter 212 - Teaching the Fake Little White Flower a Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 212 Teaching the Fake Little White Flower a Lesson</h4>

    Old General Mu didn¡¯t use a seal, but an array. Zi You hadid out an array in Hundred Herb Garden before she left. Old General Mu had learned from her andid out an array in Youran Ju.

    Other than Aunt Lan and Meng Fangzhou, the head of the guards in the General¡¯s Manor, no one was allowed inside.

    Zi You was really grateful to her grandfather for doing what he did. Otherwise, it would be really hard to say how her maidservants and nanny would be harmed by Wang Yiping.

    Wang Yiping dared to even make a move against Nee Liu, much less the servants.

    Zi You thought about the servants whom she had seen when she alighted from the horse carriage earlier. She didn¡¯t recognize most of them. It could be imagined that Wang Yiping was afraid that her previous servants knew about her scandals that would affect her reputation, so she changed all of her confidants.

    Moyun spoke quickly and whispered to Zi You, ¡°Xiaojie, if you didn¡¯te back, that woman would have turned the heavens over. Sixth Yiniang is dead. Fifth Yiniang is crazy. The other yiniangs are suppressed by her until they don¡¯t dare to make any moves. She even ordered people to set fire to Hundred Herb Garden. She didn¡¯t seed, but two people died.¡±

    A sharpness shed in Zi You¡¯s eyes. She winked at Nee Liu and then smiledzily. She said loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to pay respects to mother!¡±

    She wanted to see how that woman would pretend in front of her.

    In Yiping Ju, Wang Yiping didn¡¯t wait for Zi You to curtsy before she used her left hand that wasn¡¯t holding a crutch to support her.

    Resentment as poisonous as a snake¡¯s shed and quickly disappeared. She had the world¡¯s most loving eyes and her voice was extremely gentle as she said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back! Are you tired? Hurry and go back to rest. As soon as you¡¯re back, you¡¯ve been constantly busy.¡±

    Her words had two meanings: First, Zi You came back, but she was busy with the second household¡¯s matters and didn¡¯t evene to pay respects to her mother. Secondly, she wanted to say that Nee Liu was ipetent in managing the household. That was why Zi You was busy as soon as she returned.

    Zi You hadn¡¯t replied yet, when Yu Lanxuan came over and smiled. ¡°You jiejie, you¡¯re back. If you weren¡¯t back soon, my aunt would have gone crazy from worry!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± A servantmented, ¡°Furen hoped every day that Xiaojie woulde back alive. She prayed for Xiaojie almost every day. The Bodhisattva is benevolent and heard Furen¡¯s prayers.¡±

    Praying for her to nevere back was more like it. Zi You secretly sneered. She looked at Yu Lanxuan and smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Yu Xiaojie in more than two years. You¡¯re really bing more and more beautiful. A person is in high spirits on joyous asions. Is your joyous event happening soon?¡±

    ¡°Aunt......¡± Yu Lanxuan instantly pretended to look bashful as she whined, ¡°Look at You jiejie. She¡¯s teasing me as soon as shees back.¡±

    Zi You looked at her bashful appearance and couldn¡¯t help but think of her previous life. In her previous life, this shameless woman used this tender and cute appearance and let her mistakenly think that she was a lively, cheerful, simple, and kind girl. That was why Zi You didn¡¯t guard against her and treated her like a real sister. But she had led the wolf into the house.

    In this lifetime, Yu Lanxuan was still doing the same thing. Zi You didn¡¯t say anything and pretended to look concerned. She looked at the servants and then stared at the woman who had spoken earlier. ¡°Is this mama taking over Wei mama¡¯s ce? Where are Yenhong and Liulu?¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t wait for Wang Yiping to answer and continued, ¡°That¡¯s good though. You should really take care of those servants who don¡¯t know their ce. Otherwise, they will think about how to harm people all the time. If mother has nothing else, then I will take my leave.¡±

    Then she looked meaningfully at Wang Yiping, whose expression had changed, and started walking away.

    While walking, Zi You deliberately raised her voice to reprimand her four maidservants. ¡°You have to take that as a warning. Don¡¯t have any dirty thoughts or don¡¯t me me for being impolite.¡±

    Wang Yiping could only gnash her teeth in anger. She swung her crutches and fiercely hit the ground once, twice...... She hit more than a dozen times before sitting down in a chair with Yu Lanxuan and that woman¡¯s help.

    She looked at the cracked tiles on the floor as if they were Zi You. It would be great if Zi You was the tiles.

    Yu Lanxuan immediately waved and ordered the servants, ¡°You all leave!¡±

    After the servants all left, she immediately closed the door and softlyforted Wang Yiping, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, aunt. I¡¯ll go vent your anger right now. Shizi already said that he wants to marry me as an equal wife. I¡¯ll tell that cheap wench now and anger her to death.¡±

    Wang Yiping looked quite concerned at her. ¡°Be careful. Her martial arts are higher now. Don¡¯t let her hit you.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan smiled very proudly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, aunt. She stayed in the mountains for more than two years, but I stayed in the inner courtyard of arge household and schemed and calcted all day. Do you think that she can win against me?¡±

    Like this, Yu Lanxuan had the utmost confidence when she arrived at Youran Ju.

    Zi You had just finished bathing at this time. She changed into clean clothing and started to leave to see Shui Yiniang. But Haiyun reported, ¡°Xiaojie, that thick-skinned Yu Xiaojie is here. She said that she wants to see you.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s eyes shed. She leanedzily in a mahogany chair. ¡°Let here in.¡±

    ¡°You jiejie, I¡¯m here.¡± Yu Lanxuan twisted her waist like a water snake as she walked over to Zi You. She didn¡¯t curtsy and started to sit down.

    Zi You extended her leg and gently hooked the chair back. Yu Lanxuan fell down onto the ground.

    The little girl seemed to be incredulous. She crawled up in embarrassment and looked resentfully at Zi You. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you move the chair?¡±

    ¡°Who are you questioning?¡± Zi You looked coldly at her. Although there was a smile on her face and her tone wasn¡¯t very harsh, but the imposing momentum from her body made Yu Lanxuan shudder. She was instantly scared speechless.

    Zi You impolitely mocked, ¡°I know that you¡¯re a Shu daughter. I won¡¯t bother with your poor upbringing and poor etiquette. But if others see this, they will say you¡¯re not educated and can¡¯t be seen in public.

    ¡°Do you know what you did wrong? You have no title or rank. But you didn¡¯t curtsy when you saw a seventh-rank government official like me. If this was the Pce, you will be dragged outside and hit with boards. Why aren¡¯t you curtsying yet?¡±

    Zi You was reprimanding Yu Lanxuan to force her to lose her temper so she could teach her a good lesson. But she didn¡¯t think that Yu Lanxuan would actually curtsy and say, tearfully and aggrieved, ¡°Paying respects to Commander Mu. Wishing Commander Fu good fortune!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Zi You leaned back on her chair like a superior queen. She looked at Yu Lanxuan condescendingly. ¡°Always remember your identity and don¡¯t overstep your bounds. Since you humbly corrected yourself, I won¡¯t bother with it anymore. Go ahead and speak. Why are you looking for me?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan almost fainted from anger. She had never thought that Zi You would treat her like this. She endured for a long time before she could suppress the resentment in her heart. She pretended be awkward and hesitated as she asked, ¡°You jiejie, when you came back, did Duke Yongnan...... Shizi...... go wee you? Did he...... Did he say something...... that made you sad, jiejie?¡±

    Zi You¡¯s eyes turned shrewd. She pretended to be angry and sighed helplessly. ¡°Ai...... Don¡¯t tmention him. Men are so......¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish speaking, but her meaning was very clear: Zhao HongXiang had made her unhappy.

    Yu Lanxuan couldn¡¯t help but be ecstatic! It looks like my Xiang gege really has me in his heart. In that case, I won¡¯t be scared of you. What does a woman rely on? It¡¯s a man¡¯s love. If Xiang gege embarrassed you as soon as you came back, then why would I be scared of you?

    Yu Lanxuan instantly looked weak and helpless. She cried pitifully and said, ¡°You jiejie, don¡¯t me Xiang gege. It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s mine. I saw him drunk the other day, so I helped him into a room to rest. But I didn¡¯t expect that he would...... He would......

    ¡°Don¡¯t me him, You jiejie. He was drunk. I was going to be a nun, but Xiang gege won¡¯t let me. He said that he will take responsibility for me. He said that he...... really likes me.

    ¡°I beg you, Youe jiejie! My innocence is ruined. Please let me serve Xiang gege with you! I don¡¯t want any status. I¡¯m willing to be a servant or a ve. It¡¯s fine as long as you allow me to look at Xiang gege from far away.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zi You pretended to be angry as she mmed her hand down on a table in anger. Her whole body shivered. Then she sat back down and waved her hand as if she had suffered a terrible blow. ¡°Leave. I will give Zhao HongXiang to you.¡±

    ¡°No......¡± Yu Lanxuan¡¯s tears instantly flowed more freely. She shook her head and softly begged, ¡°You must not me Xiang gege! It¡¯s not his fault! It¡¯s really not his fault!¡±

    Zi You couldn¡¯t help but shake her head as she looked at her heartbroken and crying appearance. This woman was like a colorful snake. She used her beautiful colors to dazzle people. They thought that she was a docile and harmless flower, but she was poisonous all over. A little carelessness and they might be bitten by her and injected with poison.

    This was how she had been fooled by her, bitten by her, and was poisoned all over in her previous life. But in this lifetime...... Zi You sneered. I will definitely tear off your beautiful mask!

    Zi You deliberately said heartbrokenly, ¡°Leave. I will dissolve the engagement with Shizi.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Yu Lanxuan was ecstatic. She cried while she apologized and then ran out while covering her face.

    As soon as she left, Zi You instantly revealed a rxed and bright smile. The heavens were helping her! She was just thinking about to embarrass Zhao HongXiang before dumping him. Now, Yu Lanxuan handed her the opportunity.

    The cheap little wench thought that she would be hurt if she and Zhao HongXiang dissolved their engagement. She was really too na?ve. Zi You wanted everyone to know why she would dissolve the engagement. She wanted the g male Zhao HongXiang and g female Yu Lanxuan to be thoroughly discredited.

 Chapter 213 - Pretending to Be Crazy Due to Helplessness, Shui YouLianâ€™s Hatred

    <h4>Chapter 213 Pretending to Be Crazy Due to Helplessness, Shui YouLian¡¯s Hatred</h4>

    ¡°Xiaojie, that Shizi is so preposterous! You can¡¯t marry him! So shameless! How can there be such a nobledy? She¡¯s not evenparable to a geisha!¡± Nanny Lou was furious to death as she angrily scolded.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to get mad with such scum.¡± Zi You stood up. She felt rxed, as if she had shaken off unwanted baggage.

    Although she had gotten engaged to the g male just to dissolve the engagement and discredit him, she still didn¡¯t want people to say that she was Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It was great now. From now on, she would have nothing more to do with him.

    She would only make him wish that he was dead to avenge the hatred from her previous life.

    At Shui YouLian¡¯s Yinlian Ju, before Zi You entered the courtyard, she heard the wails inside. ¡°Give me my child...... Give me my child back......¡±

    The voice was filled with endless grief. Zi You instantly thought of her child who died in her stomach.

    After her rebirth, she rarely remembered her child who had tragically died, as if the child had never existed. But at this moment, Zi You remember that Shui YouLian had once said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to follow Laoye back to take up his post and live those fearful days. I¡¯m pregnant now. I have to think for my child¡¯s sake.¡±

    A small crack couldn¡¯t help but appear in Zi You¡¯s stone heart. She lost a child too, so she could understand this heartbreaking pain. This child was Shui YouLian¡¯s lifeblood.

    Zi You knew that Shui YouLian had never loved Mu YingRui. Everything she did was to repay Zi You for her kindness in saving her from the fire pit.

    So, after she had her child, she had no intentions ofpeting for favor so she could protect her child and live her life safely and peacefully.

    However, these people had to even deprive her of this humble hope. They were really heartless!

    When Zi You walked inside, a glimmer of light clearly shed in Shui YouLian¡¯s eyes, but it was soon extinguished.

    She sat quietly in bed and held a pillow, as if the pillow was her precious son. She lovingly shook it and coaxed softly, ¡°Hui¡¯er, mother¡¯s baby. Baby......¡±

    Zi You¡¯s gaze gradually darkened. She waved her hand. Shiyun immediately drove out the two maidservants next to Shui Yiniang.

    The two maidservants didn¡¯t really want to leave, but they were forcefully dragged out by Haiyun and Shuiyun. ¡°Xiaojie is going to examine Shui Yiniang. Don¡¯t disturb her.¡±

    Zi You went over and took the pillow out of Shui YouLian¡¯s hands. She ced it on the bed and took her into her arms. She didn¡¯t disdain her unkemptness or her unpleasant sour stench. She hugged her and whispered, ¡°I know that you¡¯re not crazy. You¡¯re waiting for me toe back and seek revenege. So, you suppressed all your tears in your heart. You can cry now.¡±

    Shui YouLian hugged Zi You and cried silently.

    She didn¡¯t make a sound, but her silent wailing was even more heartbreaking. She suppressed her voice and her whole body shook like falling leaves in the sad wind and cold rain......

    After a very, very long time, she choked out, ¡°Hui¡¯er was smart...... Clever and cute. Even he...... He said that Hui¡¯er...... was more talented than Qingheng Shaoye. But he...... He let that...... malicious woman kill my son!

    ¡°He clearly knew that...... It wasn¡¯t Qingyuan Shaoye¡¯s fault. It¡¯s that malicious woman¡¯s fault. But...... But he...... just let this matter go. Xiaojie, avenege me! Avenge your brother!¡±

    Shui YouLian¡¯s voice was very low so it was a little hoarse, but one could feel her boundless hatred. Especially when she mentioned the malicious woman and ¡°him,¡± she gnashed her teeth. She apparently hated them to the extreme.

    Zi You nodded and said clearly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will find a way to make them pay for what they did to you, my brother, and the countless people who were killed by them! But how do you that it¡¯s that malicious woman who harmed my brother?¡±

    Shui YouLian wiped her tears and said angrily, ¡°Hui¡¯er is dead. I¡¯m sad, but I¡¯m not crazy. I secretly snuck out at night to take a look at the lotus pond. There were nts in the lotus pond where Hui¡¯er fell in. If the nts didn¡¯t wrap around Hui¡¯er¡¯s leg, he might have not have drowned so quickly.

    ¡°Also, someone had poured oil near the lotus pond. Although the oil was cleaned when I went there, I still felt soybean oil on the edges of the soil. If something didn¡¯t happen to Hui¡¯er that day, then something might have happened to Qingyuan Shaoye.

    ¡°They just wanted to kill two birds with one stone. It will be great if Qingyuan Shaoye drowns. If Qingyuan Shaoye doesn¡¯t drown, then...... my Hui¡¯er will drown and Qingyuan Shaoye will take the me.

    ¡°Xiaojie, they¡¯re too vicious. Hui¡¯er was his son too...... He also kissed him before. How can he bear it......¡±

    Shui YouLian¡¯s tears started flowing down again. She wiped them off and bent down to lift up the shabby and dirty carpet. She removed a tile and took out a booklet. She handed it to Zi You and said, ¡°This is a ledger of him taking bribes and bribing his superiors when he and I were in Quanzhou. At that time, he didn¡¯t have his guard up against me, so he left all the private transactions for me to manage.

    ¡°I fell out of favor afterwards and he took all the ounts away. But he doesn¡¯t know that I kept one. I know that he¡¯s a fickle and and unjust person. He personally named this courtyard and wrote the signboard. As a result...... I don¡¯t me him for being fickle towards me, but let that woman hurt my son. I will never forgive him!¡±

    ¡°Why do you believe in me?¡± Zi You looked at the ledger and couldn¡¯t help but be touched.

    Shui YouLian looked sympathetically at her and shook her head. ¡°If you weren¡¯t forced, why would you send me to him? When he was pped by your mother¡¯s ghost, I knew that you couldn¡¯t endure it anymore.¡±

    Shui YouLian was smart, but she still didn¡¯t manage to escape from Wang Yiping¡¯s scheme. There was only one exnation: Her servants were bribed by Wang Yiping.

    Sure enough, before she could ask, Shui YouLian said, ¡°The servants in the first household knew about her scandal, so they were gradually sold. When Lao TaiYe and Second Laoye left to pacify the rebellion, she sold or beat all of them to death.

    ¡°My original maidservants were forcibly married off. My two current maidservants are from her side. I was vignt, but I didn¡¯t expect that she would have bribed Hui¡¯er¡¯s nanny too. Hui¡¯er went out with that nanny that day. I didn¡¯t expect that she actually......¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s that nanny now?¡± Zi You asked.

    ¡°Dead!¡± Shui YouLian replied resentfully. ¡°Did she think that that malicious woman would let her off? That malicious woman could even kill her own nanny, not to mention other people. Do you know what happened to Yenhong and Liulu? They were treated as gifts and sent by her to Imperial Tutor She as tongfangs.¡±

    So that¡¯s what happened. Zi You nodded understandingly. She said, ¡°You have to pretend to be crazy for a bit longer. You......¡±

    Zi You leaned over and whispered to her. Then she said to Shiyun and Moyun, ¡°Call those two maidservants inside.¡±

    The two maidservants were bought brainwashed by Wang Yiping, so of course they wouldn¡¯t take good care of Shui YouLian.

    Zi You wanted to demonstrate her authority to these two maidservants and essentially show off to the servants whom Wang Yiping had just bought. This would also be a p in Wang Yiping¡¯s face. Wang Yiping would suffer, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to voice it.

    The two maidservants were brought inside. They looked at Shui Yiniang leaning against the bed and ravenously eating the food that Shiyun was feeding her.

    Zi You was sittingzily on a chair. The chair wasn¡¯t very clean, so it was covered with a beautiful embroidered cushion.

    The two maidservants looked at her eyes that were as deep and cold as an ancient spring, which were currently staring coldly at them. The two maidservants shivered and suddenly knelt down.

    Although most of the servants in the first household were disposed of by Wang Yiping and although Wang Yiping had bribed them with kindness as soon as they entered the house, the two maidservants had still heard some things from the servants in the second household.

    For example, they had heard about this Xiaojie. The servants in the second household looked awestruck when they talked about her. The two maidservants wondered how powerful a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl could possibly be?

    But they saw Zi You now and they couldn¡¯t help but be scared. Those eyes seemed to be able to hook their souls out. The momentum from her body made them more fearful of her than Mu YingRui.

    In fact, Zi You¡¯s voice was beautiful and she also spoke very gently. But the two maidservants were still nervous and scared.

    ¡°How long have you two been serving Shui Yiniang?¡± Zi You slowly sipped tea and asked very leisurely.

    The two maidservants stammered, ¡°More then twenty days.¡±

    Zi You poured the hot water from the teacup onto their heads. She snapped, ¡°Are you two dead? It¡¯s been more than twenty days, but look at how dirty this room is. Although Shui Yiniang is ill, she is still my father¡¯s concubine. You two ves cannot neglect her. Look at how dirty she is. You can smell the sour stench from far away. Do you not have noses? If so, Shuiyun, go cut off their noses.¡±

    The four first-rank maidservants had been learning medicine with Zi You. Shuiyun was the most courageous and often followed Zi You in dissecting mice, rabbits, and other creatures.

    Shuiyun heard what Zi You said and picked up her sword to go cut their noses off.

    The two maidservants were so scared that they almost lost their souls! They would rather be beaten with boards than have their noses cut off. Could girls marry if they didn¡¯t have any noses? Their lives would be ruined.

    ¡°Spare us......¡± The two maidservants cried out in fear. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault. First Furen told us not to care about Shui Yiniang¡¯s life or death. She¡¯s supposed to fend for herself.¡±

    ¡°Yes. First Furen told us to give her some rancid rice every day. If she didn¡¯t eat it, then we should starve her to death.¡±

 Chapter 214 - Punishing Wicked Slaves, Shocking the Malicious Woman, The Slag Male is Supicious

    <h4>Chapter 214 Punishing Wicked ves, Shocking the Malicious Woman, The g Male is Supicious</h4>

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Zi You pretended to be angry as she mmed her hand down on a table. ¡°Don¡¯t pour dirty water on my mother. Who doesn¡¯t know that my mother is the most benevolent? Would you dare to say that in front of my mother? If you dare to say it, then I¡¯ll let you keep your noses. If not, I will immediately cut them off!¡±

    ¡°We dare...... We dare......¡± The two maidservants kowtowed.

    Zi You stood up and walked over to them. She smiled enchantingly and said softly, ¡°I hate people who betray me the most. Do you know what I do to people who betray me? I throw them into snake pits!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t. We won¡¯t. Nubi will never betray Xiaojie!¡± The two maidservants cried until tears and snot flowed. They shivered in fear.

    They thought that the Xiaojie who was more beautiful than a fairy was actually more terrifying than a ghost.

    Zi You winked at Haiyun. Haiyun nodded and quietly went to find Mu YingRui.

    Zi You left Shiyun behind to take care of Shui Yiniang. Then she calmly took Shuiyun, Moyun, and the two maidservants to Yiping Ju.

    Haiyun arrived at Mu YingRui¡¯s study. Yang Qingjun actually stopped her from seeing Mu YingRui.

    Haiyun was bold and loud. She shouted, ¡°Xiaojie ordered Nubi to report something to Laoye. Why are you stopping me? First Laoye, your servant is bullying people......¡±

    Mu YingRui was just thinking about what Zi You had said and recalling the things that Wang Yiping had done before. The more he thought, the more suspicious he became.

    Just as he was being sullen, he heard Haiyun¡¯s shout. He angrily kicked the door open and shouted, ¡°Why are you shouting? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Haiyun immediately and pitifully curtsied. ¡°Laoye...... Xiaojie invites you over to First Furen¡¯s. Xiaojie told Nubi to tell you, but Steward Yang stopped Nubi and wouldn¡¯t let Nubi report it.¡±

    Mu YingRui then remembered what Zi You had said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I will let you see mother¡¯s true nature as long as you cooperate with me. When I call for you, I hope that you wille right away.¡±

    Mu YingRui instantly red at Yang Qingjun. He then asked Haiyun, ¡°Do you know why your Xiaojie is calling me over?¡±

    Haiyun shook her head. ¡°Xiaojie said that you will know when you get there.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Mu YingRui looked lecherously at Haiyun.

    He thought that his daughter¡¯s maidservants were all outstanding, especially this one and that Shiyun.

    They were all older than Zi You. If his father hadn¡¯t stopped him, Mu YingRui would have taken Shiyun as his tongfang already. Even a nobledy couldn¡¯tpare to that girl Shiyun.

    Haiyun was disgusted with Mu YingRui¡¯s nce. It was as if a toad had jumped onto her foot. It was repulsive.

    But Mu YingRui still pretended to confidently ask, ¡°Did your Xiaojie tell you that it¡¯s time for you maidservants to get married?¡±

    Haiyun decisively and firmly said, ¡°Nubi said that Nubi will serve Xiaojie for a lifetime and never marry.¡±

    Mu YingRui was choked speechless and couldn¡¯t say anything.

    Haiyun thought of Zi You¡¯s n, so she looked at Yang Qingjun. She pretended to whisper mischievously to Mu YingRui, ¡°Laoye, can you tell your servant not to follow us? Nubi wants to talk to you secretly.¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s peach blossom eyes instantly shone. He had been managed by Wang Yiping and hadn¡¯t named a new concubine for a very long time.

    As soon as he had some idea, Wang Yiping would scare him and say, ¡°You should be more honest. If your father finds out, he will hit you with military rods again.¡±

    Mu YingRui was scared of being hit by military rods. Once of thought of the pain, he immediately withered.

    Now, he looked at Haiyun, who was wearing a lotus-colored top. Her skirt was embroidered with lotuses and the same color. She had a multicolored filigree sash around her waist and an auspicious Buddha hand hairpin on her head. She was originally very pretty, but her appearance right now made her look fresh and elegant.

    His lecherous heart surged. Mu YingRui immediately waved at Yang Qingjun. ¡°Don¡¯t follow along.¡±

    Yang Qingjun didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy or angry. He and Wang Yiping had long started their affair. He didn¡¯t want Mu YingRui to sleep with Wang Yiping, but he also wanted Mu YingRui to be loyal to Wang Yiping. With such a contradictory heart, he was angry and happy when he saw Mu YingRui tempted by other women. Even he didn¡¯t understand how he felt.

    Haiyun waited until Yang Qingjun disappeared before she looked sympathetically at Mu YingRui. She shook her head and said, ¡°Laoye, you are a handsome and important official. How can you let servants deceive you?¡±

    Mu YingRui was very happy and not angry to hear that Haiyun praised his handsomeness and say that he was an important official. Instead, he smiled flirtatiously and said, ¡°Which servant dares to deceive me? Little girl, you better exin it to me. Or be careful that I will punish you.¡±

    The word ¡°punish¡± was said very meaningfully and made goosebumps appear all over Haiyun. Haiyun fought back her nausea and said, ¡°The servants are talking about it. But Laoye is still in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Talk about what?¡± Mu YingRui was puzzled as he looked at her. He pretended to be dignified as he coughed. ¡°How dare they talk about their masters? If I catch them, they will all be punished with boards.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just feeling indignant on your behalf, Laoye.¡± Haiyun refuted, ¡°They say that you¡¯re wise and brilliant, Laoye, but why are you being deceived by a servant? That Steward Yang doesn¡¯t listen to you, but instead listens to Furen. That¡¯s why you ended up being punished by Lao TaiYe. What an injustice.¡±

    Mu YingRui frowned. He couldn¡¯t help but think about how every time he wanted to y with women, Yang Qingjun would dissuade him. ¡°Laoye, Furen told this subordinate to advise you to take care of your body.¡±

    ¡°Laoye, Furen is virtuous and dedicated to you. You shouldn¡¯t make her unhappy.¡±

    Mu YingRui suddenly reacted. That was true. When was that b*stard Yang Qingjun on Wang Yiping¡¯s side? He spoke up for her every time and spoke for her sake. His every other word was praise for Wang Yiping. Could it be that there was something fishy going on?

    After Zi You was reborn, she had be very good at observation. Her maidservants more or less had learned from her, especially Shiyun and Haiyun. They were very shrewd. Zi You had often taught them and it wasn¡¯t in vain.

    Haiyun looked at Mu YingRui¡¯s uncertain and dark expression and knew that he was getting suspicious. So, she added fuel to the fire. ¡°Laoye, Nubi didn¡¯t teven tell Xiaojie this. Nubi is telling you now because Laoye is such an outstanding person and...... and you¡¯re being deceived......¡±

    Haiyun looked left and right and leaned close to Mu YingRui. She whispered, ¡°There was one night when Nubi couldn¡¯t sleep because Nubi was missing Xiaojie. Nubi wandered into the yard and saw...... saw Steward Yang and Furening out together from the side building next to your study.

    ¡°The next day, Nubi heard Sixth Yiniang say that you stayed in her courtyard that night. If you don¡¯t believe it, Laoye, you can pay attention and investigate to see if Nubi lied to you. Laoye, Xiaojie doesn¡¯t even know that Nubi is telling you this. Please don¡¯t tell Xiaojie what Nubi said.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± At this point, Mu YingRui already believed 70% of Haiyun¡¯s words. If Zi You knew about this, would she let Wang Yiping off? Wouldn¡¯t she try to catch them in the act?

    Even if Yang Qingjun and Wang Yiping were not having an affair, a master and a male guard alone in a small room together in the middle of the night would still make people suspect something.

    Besides, if Wang Yiping was really a shameless wench who dared to even tangle with her brother, then it wouldn¡¯t be anything good if she was together with Yang Qingjun.

    The person whom he thought was virtuous and understanding had actually made him a cuckold so many times.

    Mu YingRui was originally suspicious after Zi You talked to him. Now that Haiyun fanned the mes, the suspicion was like vines with fertilizer added. It continued to magnify and spread.

    Mu YingRui and Haiyun didn¡¯t sit in a pnquin and walked all the way to Yiping Ju.

    They walked through the door and heard Zi You¡¯s voice that was like water in a spring. ¡°Mother, I brought these two maidservants here for your own good. Not only did they not take good care of the ill Shui Yiniang, but they also deducted Shui Yiniang¡¯s meals.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know this but I just went to see Shui Yiniang. Let¡¯s not talk about how dirty her courtyard, room, and body are. But she was almost starved to death. I asked these two maidservants and they said that they have been serving Shui Yiniang for only twenty days, but they¡¯re already so presumptuous. What will happen if they be old servants in the house? This is what servants bullying their masters mean!

    ¡°No matter what Shui Yiniang is like, she is still father¡¯s concubine. How can she be humiliated by the maidservants? After I chastised these maidservants, they said that you ordered it, mother. Of course I didn¡¯t believe it. How can I not know what kind of person you are, mother? You¡¯re the kindest and most virtuous.

    ¡°They spoke such nonsense because someone must want to pour dirty water on you, mother.¡±

    Zi You kicked the two maidservants and snapped, ¡°You cheap ves! Why aren¡¯t you exining? Say it. Who told you to frame my mother?¡±

    ¡°Xiaojie...... Nubi didn¡¯t lie. It really is Furen who told Nubi to do it.¡± A maidservant wailed.

    The other maidservant also kowtowed and cried, ¡°Xiaojie, if not for Furen¡¯s orders, no matter how much courage Nubi has, Nubi would never dare to bully the master!¡±

    Zi You looked at Wang Yiping and shook her head. She sighed. ¡°Ai...... Mother, I can¡¯t believe that you told the maidservants to do it. Shui Yiniang already lost her child and she¡¯s ill now. Why do you have to target her?¡±

 Chapter 215 - Ready to Attack Zi You

    <h4>Chapter 215 Ready to Attack Zi You</h4>

    Zi You deliberately pretended to look sad and caring. She shook her head and said, ¡°If people find out about this, they not only would scold father for being vicious, but they will scold him for being fickle and heartless too. He can¡¯t even tolerate a crazy concubine who lost her son. How would a woman dare to treat father sincerely from now on?

    ¡°If the imperial censors find out, they might impeach father. Didn¡¯t you think about father before you did anything?¡±

    Wang Yiping never thought that Zi You would provoke her as soon as she came back. She ced this huge charge on her head and didn¡¯t give her the chance to exin.

    Wang Yiping¡¯s chest felt stuffy from anger. She red at Zi You with sword-like eyes. She couldn¡¯t wait to stab a sword through Zi You¡¯s heart.

    However, more than two years had passed and she had learned to tolerate, so she was calmer now. She pondered for less than five minutes and coldly ordered, ¡°Someone,e. These two cheap maidservants ndered me. Take them out and flog them to death.¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡± Zi You instantly saw through her scheme and eximed, ¡°If you flog them to death, who will dare to listen to you and be loyal to you?¡±

    Huh! Zi You sneered to herself. What a good n. You want to kill the two maidservants and spread the news that I returned and forced you to kill them. I¡¯m not that stupid. If you¡¯re not going to get angry, I¡¯m going to force you to show your true nature then.

    Sure enough, the anger in Wang Yiping¡¯s chest couldn¡¯t be suppressed anymore. She shouted, ¡°Why are you so sure that I ordered them? If you don¡¯t flog to death wicked servants like these who nder their masters, are you going to leave them alive to climb above their status and frame others?¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t order them, then you definitely can¡¯t kill them!¡± Zi You looked like she was thinking on her behalf. She said righteously and justly, ¡°If you really didn¡¯t give them orders, then you should carefully interrogate them. First, they abused a yiniang and then they frame a main wife. I think that for the sake of yours and father¡¯s reputations, we should send them to the yamen for investigation.

    ¡°We need to find out who is so vicious to pour dirty water on you and father. We can¡¯t let them off!¡±

    Mu YingRui heard this and strode into Yiping Ju. He saw that the situation was indeed as Zi You had said. He didn¡¯t look at himself, but he pushed all the responsibility onto Wang Yiping instead.

    Zi You was right. If Shui Yiniang¡¯s matter was spread out, what would others think of him? There wouldn¡¯t be many people scolding Wang Yiping. After all, which fu didn¡¯t have wives and concubines fight and even to death sometimes?

    But he would drown by the saliva! People would certainly scold him for being ruthless and fickle. His concubine just lost her son and became crazy. But he let people abuse her and try to kill her?

    No woman would be willing to be with him anymore. What woman would entrust her life to a fickle and heartless person?

    Wang Yiping was really poisonous! In order not to have another woman like him, she tried to get rid of Shui Yiniang even at the destruction of his reputation.

    Haiyun saw Mu YingRui run into Yiping Ju and ran after him. She whispered, ¡°Laoye, don¡¯t beat the grass and startle the snake. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to find out the truth.¡±

    That¡¯s right. He had to be calm. He couldn¡¯t immediately shed all pretence of cordiality with Wang Yiping. He wanted to see how much this cheap wench had hidden from him.

    After Mu YingRui left, Wang Yiping¡¯s patience was finally gone. She shouted, ¡°Take them out. Don¡¯t you know that family shames cannot be spread outside? Someone,e. Drag these two wicked servants out and flog them to death!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zi You pretended to look like she couldn¡¯t bear it. She wanted to stop Wang Yiping, but she didn¡¯t dare to. Then she looked meaningfully at the servants and sighed.

    Many of these servants were bought only a short period of time ago. They had always blindly followed Wang Yiping. Now that they saw this scene, what else did they not understand?

    So it was all fake when Furen said, ¡°As long as you are loyal to me, you¡¯ll receive plenty of benefits.¡±

    So the ¡°benefits¡± she referred to was flogging to death two maidservants to protect her own reputation.

    Instantly, most of the servants were disheartened. Only a small amount of the servants were more determined to cling onto Wang Yiping. After all, even Zi You didn¡¯t dare to be disobedient to her stepmother.

    However, at this time, greetings sounded outside. ¡°Nubi (Nucai) pays respects to Lao TaiYe!¡±

    Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) was in a wheelchair and pushed in by Mu YingYi.

    Wang Yiping was shocked and secretly thought, ¡®This is bad! Why is the old fool here?¡¯

    She quickly went over to curtsy. ¡°Daughter-inw pays respects to father. Wishing father good fortune!¡±

    Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) didn¡¯t tell her to get up. He looked at several women pulling on two little maidservants. He looked displeased and asked, ¡°What is going on? Why don¡¯t you know how to stop? I just came back. What are you doing now?¡±

    ¡°Daughter-inw is wronged!¡± Wang Yiping looked ptitiful and said, ¡°It¡¯s You¡¯er. She said......¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s You¡¯er¡¯s fault again.¡± Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) sneered. ¡°You always me You¡¯er and never admit how vicious you are. I thought that if I let you off, you will repent. I didn¡¯t think that you still......¡±

    ¡°Grandfather.¡± Zi You looked sad as she went over to Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan). She said aggrieved, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s not the first time that mother doesn¡¯t appreciate my kindness. I don¡¯t care anymore. But these two maidservants really don¡¯t deserve to die. They were just forced by someone to abuse Shui Yiniang.

    ¡°Grandfather, can you spare them? Just hit them twenty times with the boards so they will remember not to listen to other people¡¯s instigation and do wicked deeds. Also, send a few loyal servants to serve Shui Yiniang. She¡¯s so pitiful!¡±

    ¡°Hit these two maidservants twenty times with boards,¡± ¡°Old General Mu¡± immediately ordered. He then held Zi You¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go with you to see Shui Yiniang. It¡¯s a pity. Hui¡¯er was this old man¡¯s grandson too.¡±

    The servants saw this and had a new understanding of Wang Yiping. Their impression of Old General Mu and Zi You greatly improved too.

    It seemed that they couldn¡¯t believe in what Wang Yiping had said. In the future, they needed to carefully consider whatever she told them to do.

    After Old General Mu left, Wang Yiping almost copsed. She had thought that he was going to punish her again. She never thought that he would let her off.

    However, she thought of how Old General Mu didn¡¯t listen to her defense and only listened to Zi You. She was instantly transported back to what happened two years ago. She angrily and fiercely threw the crutch in her hand away.

    Yu Lanxuan saw everything that happened, but she remembered the lesson that Zi You had just taught her. So, she helped Wang Yiping into the room and whispered in her ear.

    Wang Yiping nodded and looked resentful and vicious. ¡°I want her to die too, but I can¡¯t do anything in the house. I can only scheme against her in the Pce. Go tell the Empress to find a way to kill her when she¡¯s in the Pce tonight. This way......¡±

 Chapter 216 - All of the Demons and Monsters Appear at the Celebration Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 216 All of the Demons and Monsters Appear at the Celebration Banquet</h4>

    The Emperor had not nned on inviting women to the celebration banquet. But Wu Jieyu had acted coquettish with him and said, ¡°Emperor, this consort wants to see that Mu Xiaojie. She¡¯s so powerful that she¡¯s not scared of the poisonous snakes in the swamps? This consort heard that there are all kinds of poisonous insects in the mountains and jungles. Why is a girl like her not afraid? This consort heard that her Shifu is a living immortal. This consort wants to ask her what an immortal looks like.¡±

    The Empress had also said, ¡°Yes, Emperor, this Empress is curious too. Not to mention, for Mu Xiaojie¡¯s sake, we should invite women into the Pce. Although Mu Xiaojie is a soldier, she is female after all. It¡¯s a bit inappropriate for her to sit with a group of officials.¡±

    The Emperor was persuaded and went to Jingyang Pce. The Empress Dowager was also persuaded by Shangguan LingRan (Yi He): ¡°Imperial grandmother, don¡¯t you want to see what your granddaughter-inw looks like now? Your grandson still needs you to suggest marrying You¡¯er to me at the celebration banquet. Imperial grandmother, your grandson is neen years old already. At this age, other people already have children running around.¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but ache when she looked at her grandson¡¯s lively appearance. She had never expected that her grandson¡¯s affection for Zi You was so deep. When there was no news of Zi You for more than two years, he had been be even more unbridled and strange. He would shed all pretence of cordiality at the drop of a hat.

    The Empress Dowager thought about the time when Zi You was seriously injured and taken away by an expert to be treated. Shangguan LingRan had gone drinking for ten days in a brothel and didn¡¯t return to An Wang fu.

    She had no choice and had given him two beautiful women. She also had someone tie up Shangguan LingRan and bring him back.

    The result was that the two women turned into two corpses the next day.

    After she had found out, she had asked him why. ¡°Don¡¯t you linger in the brothel all day for the women? I¡¯m giving you beautiful women now, so why did you kill them?¡±

    ¡°Dirty!¡± Shangguan LingRan said one word and his face was terrifyingly cold. ¡°An Wang Shizifei can only be You¡¯er. Other people are unworthy. Also, grandson advises you not to tell the truth to imperial uncle or you can wait to collect my corpse.¡±

    The Dowager Dowager thought of her grandson¡¯s stubbornness and could only say to the Emperor, ¡°It¡¯s a celebration banquet, so it should be merry. Just summon the families of officials above fifth-rank into the Pce. Let thosedies in the boudoir see our female Commander.¡±

    So, Wang Yiping entered the Pce for the first time that night for the celebration banquet. She was excited, resentful, and nervous.

    She was excited because if hers and Yu Lanxuan¡¯s n could seed tonight, the thorn in her eye would be removed.

    She was resentful because she could enter the Pce for the first time because of her stepdaughter. She could enter the Pce because she was the heroine¡¯s mother.

    She was nervous because she didn¡¯t know whether tonight¡¯s n would seed. She was afraid that she would fail again. She really couldn¡¯t withstand the blow of failure anymore.

    At this time, Zi You and Shangguan LingRan were sitting in a horse carriage together. Shangguan LingRan looked carefully at her. ¡°YouYou, why are you so good-looking?¡±

    Zi You was really beautiful tonight. She was elegant in a purple silk coat embroidered with ck mandara flowers in silver thread. The cor and cuffs were edged with silver. Her dress was light purple brocade iid with diamonds. The dress¡¯s waist was sprinkled with gold and silver glitter. She had a purple gem gold filigree hairpin in her bun. A purple gem and gold dangling hairpin wasbed into her bun on the back of her head. The hairpin jingled once she moved.

    Her snow-like porcin skin made her bright eyes twinkle charmingly. Her light makeup was shiny and supple. The most beautiful were her light purple and starry eyes. They were simply more dazzling than the purple gems on her head.

    Shangguan LingRan was a little regretful. He was afraid that such a gorgeous Zi You would be even more coveted by the Emperor and his sons.

    He had clearly seen that Wang Yiping¡¯s jealousy and heatred when she saw Zi You and the shock that couldn¡¯t be hidden in Mu YingRui¡¯s eyes. He was really afraid that the lecherous Emperor would immediately try to marry Zi You.

    Shangguan LingRan¡¯s worries weren¡¯t unfounded. Sure enough, as soon as Zi You stepped into the Pce, the noisy pce hall instantly became silent.

    The light shone brilliantly on her jade-like face. The diamonds on her dress twinkled. Its purple hem swayed as she slowly walked. The blooming purple mandara flowers moved and swayed touchingly with each step.

    She was like a fairy who had identally fallen into the mundane world. She was stained with the mundane world, but she was also aloof from it.

    At this time, the Emperor, the Empress, the Empress Dowager, and Taizi weren¡¯t here yet, but Second Wangzi and Third Wangzi were already here. They turned into fools when they saw Zi You.

    Zi You bowed to them and they finally reacted. They stammered out, ¡°Hurry...... Please rise!¡±

    Zi You and Shangguan LingRan were then led to the table prepared for the General¡¯s Manor to wait for the Emperor.

    Someone soon came over to greet Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) and Mu YingYi.

    Although these cunning officials felt that the wind was changing when Old General Mu and his son left for Nanjiang, they felt that the wind changed back when Old General Mu came back victorious.

    So, they quickly came over to greet and ask after them. They also secretly looked at the legendary Mu Zi You, who was as beautiful as a fairy.

    After a while, Taizi arrived with Taizifei and his two cefeis.

    In order to highlight her status as Zhengfei, Taizifei wore a gold-edged bright red Pce outfit. She had on plum blossom makeup and a bright red and an eyecatching red plum blossom ornament.

    On Taizifei¡¯s right side, a woman wore a gliterring green and honey gold brocade dress. Her shoes were pink. Bracelets encircled her twists. A string of red was hung over her chest. A gold and jade hairpin was inserted in her bun. Six phoenix hairpins were on the back of her head. The phoenixes held pearls in their mouths. She emitted prestige.

    But she saw Zi You and froze. Her jealous gaze shed before she loked immensely proud of herself.

    Liu Ruixue was on the left. This was the first time that Zi You had seen her since she married Taizi. Liu Ruixue had arge stomach and she was wearing a loose and luxurious emerald lotus phoenix-tailed dress. The hem was embroidered with gold thread and decorated with amethyst and emeralds, which shed purple and golden light. A gold hairpin was on her head. Liu Ruixue seemed fresh, elegant, ssy, and noble. Her smiles and actions were gentle and dignified. Her dark eyes glistened with luster.

    It seemed that she was living well. Zi You nodded. Her attitude was very friendly and affectionate. ¡°Paying respects to Taizi, Taizifei, Liu cefei, and Ke cefei.¡±

    Zi You stood up and bowed. Before she finished speaking, Liu Ruixue grabbed her hands and said excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re okay! I heard that you were injured. I was so worried and cried for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Xue¡¯er is telling the truth.¡± Taizi smiled elegantly like usual. ¡°She heard that you were seriously injured, so she couldn¡¯t sleep well, which made me extremely worried.¡±

    Taizi was smarter now. He knew that Zi You wouldn¡¯t necessarily pay him any attention if he rashly went to bother her. So, he yed the family card and used Liu Ruixue in a roundabout way to get close to her.

    Zi You withdrew her hands from Liu Ruixue¡¯s hands and faintly smiled. ¡°Thank you for your concern, cefei. I will visit you when there¡¯s time.¡±

    Liu Ruixue felt her indifference and was a little sad.

    But Zi You didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest as she bowed and turned to leave. She couldn¡¯t be med for doing this. She absolutely could not give people the wrong impression that the General¡¯s Manor was involved with Taizi in public.

    In particr, Taizi was someone whom she wanted to kill. If Liu Ruixue knew that Zi You wanted to kill Taizi, would she still be close to her?

    In the previous life, Liu Ruixue and the child both died during childbirth. Zi You was very conflicted now. Should she save her at that time or not?

    Fortunately, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Empress, and the consorts arrived very quickly, so Zi You wasn¡¯t conflicted for very long.

    The Empress was wearing a bright red and gold multicolored phoenix-tailed dress with gold piping on the wide sleeves. A jade brocade and leather belt with a gorgeous agate was around her waist. She wore a gold crown decorated with gems on her head. She had two sashes around the jade and leather belt. Therge sash was blue and red with a gold phoenix and auspicious cloud pattern on it. It was also tied with a string of auspicious jade beads. She wore a glittering golden bangle on her wrist. There was a jade ring on her finger.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes were sharp and saw that the ck ring had disappeared.

    Zi You sneered. That Devil Ring recognized its master. The Empress had already dripped her blood on it. If she wanted to throw it away or let it recognize another master, then Darong Ka or someone with special abilities needed to lift the spell between her and the Devil Ring.

    But Darong Ka obviously could not do this. She could, but she would not!

    At this time, Zi You felt a jealous gaze on her. She looked up and saw a woman dressed in a pale green dress with a peacock train. She had a Duoma bun on her head and two locks of hair cutely hung on both sides of her cheeks. A gilt filigree and jade swaying hairpin with green tassels was in her loose bun. It swayed as she moved and she was full of flirtatious and romantic charm.

    This was the currently favored Wu Jieyu. Although her facial features weren¡¯t extremely beautiful, she had a voluptuous figure that others did not have.

    The Emperor took his seat after everyone bowed and paid their respects.

 Chapter 217 - I Am a Descendant of a Goddess, Your Regret is Just Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 217 I Am a Descendant of a Goddess, Your Regret is Just Beginning</h4>

    [TL Note: The pronouns ¡°he¡± (¡°him¡±) and ¡°she¡± (¡°her¡±) sound exactly the same in Chinese. So, while some people refer to Zi You¡¯s Shifu as ¡°he,¡± Zi You is using the ¡°she¡± pronoun.]

    The Emperor indeed stared at Zi You when he saw her. He smiled meaningfully and said, ¡°Yatou, Muhou, the Empress, and the consorts are here specifically to see you. They¡¯re all curious why you weren¡¯t afraid of those poisonous creatures when you¡¯re a delicate girl. So tell us why you weren¡¯t afraid?¡±

    Zi You stood up and bowed. She replied calmly, ¡°Replying to Emperor, Chennu knew that there are a lot of poisonous creatures in Nanjiang. To ovee the fear, Chennu took the female medical team into the mountains for military training. Otherwise, how can we go to Nanjiang to pacify the rebellion? To treat the soldiers, Chennu and the female medical team had to ovee the fear.¡±

    The Empress Dowager beckoned her and smiled amiably. ¡°Good child. Come over to Aijia.¡±

    Zi You calmly walked over and bowed to the Empress Dowager.

    The Empress Dowager looked her up and down and asked in concern, ¡°Did your injuries leave any prevailing conditions behind? Aiyo! Aijia heard that it took you a long time to revoer from your serious injuries.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager.¡± Zi You bowed and smiled. ¡°Other than Chennu¡¯s martial arts not yetpletely restored, the body is a lot better. To be exact, Chennu was not severely injured, but died. All of Chennu¡¯s meridians were broken. If Shifu wasn¡¯t there, Chennu would have died.¡±

    ¡°Died?¡± Wu Jieyu pretended to cover her small cherry mouth in shock. ¡°Back to life? Is your Shifu really an immortal?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Chennu¡¯s Shifu really is an immortal,¡± Zi You replied calmly.

    Wu Jieyu immediately asked, ¡°Then how old is he? Are there any other disciples?¡±

    Zi You immediately looked awkward and exined. ¡°Of course...... But I¡¯m not with them......¡±

    Wu Jieyu became more excited when she saw Zi You like this. She didn¡¯t let her off and asked, ¡°Then why did your Shifu note to see the Emperor? It won¡¯t be going overboard if the Emperor made such a talent the national teacher. Do you think that your consort is right, Emperor?¡± Wu Jieyu pursed her lips and acted coquettish.

    The Emperor was a little embarrassed as he smiled at Zi You. ¡°You¡¯er, get your Shifu toe out of the mountains. Zhen will certainly treat him well.¡±

    ¡°Shifu is an aloof person.¡± Zi You shook her head in embarrassment. ¡°She doesn¡¯t interfere with the mundane world. Chennu asked her toe to the capital, but she refused.¡±

    ¡°Emperor......¡± At this moment, a woman suddenly shouted out excitedly. ¡°This official¡¯s wife has something to tell you, Emperor.¡±

    The voice was jarring and everyone turned to look at the woman.

    Zi You also turned. As expected, it was Duke Yongnan¡¯s wife, Nee Chen.

    Duke Yongnan had fallen ill recently, so he did note to the banquet. Only Zhao HongXiang and Nee Chen came tonight.

    Zhao HongXiang was feeling very conflicted right now. In the afternoon, Yu Lanxuan hade to find him and told him, ¡°I already told Mu Zi You about us. She will definitely suggest dissolving the engagement tonight. If you don¡¯t want to be humiliated, you should propose to dissolve the engagement first.¡±

    At that time, he was very unhappy. She was just a little Shu daughter and one whom he had yed with already. So, on what basis could she tell him what to do?

    She was on the Empress¡¯ side, but he was Taizi¡¯s valued confidant.

    Moreover, Zi You was even more beautiful now than she was two years ago. Old General Mu had also returned victorious. And Zhao HongXiang didn¡¯t know what the Emperor was going to do.

    If the Emperor wasn¡¯t going to take away Old General Mu¡¯s military power, then wouldn¡¯t he suffer a big loss if he dissolved his and Zi You¡¯s engagement right now?

    Thinking to here, Zhao HongXiang had been very unhappy and dissatisfied with Yu Lanxuan. ¡°Why did you do that? You didn¡¯t even discuss it with me and you spoke nonsense to You¡¯er?

    He hadn¡¯t expected that Yu Lanxuan would immediately cry. ¡°How can Shizi say that I was speaking nonsense? Is our love all fake? Are the vows that Shizi made to me all fake? I don¡¯t believe it. I treasure all the love letters that Shizi wrote to me.¡±

    Zhao HongXiang had thought about all the nauseating love letters that he had written. There were a lot of them. They described his and Yu Lanxuan¡¯s loving and affectionate times together in bed.

    So, he could only coax her. ¡°Okay, okay. I was wrong. I¡¯ll listen to you from now on, okay?¡±

    But once he saw Zi You, Zhao HongXiang regretted what he said. No matter how he looked andpared Yu Lanxuan and Zi You, he felt that one was the moon in the sky and one was a stone on the ground. One was a lotus in the Milky Way and one was a dogtail flower in the grass.

    So, when his mother constantly urged him to dissolve the engagement, he absolutely disagreed and didn¡¯t stand up.

    As a result, his mother was anxious and jumped out herself. Zhao HongXiang wanted to stop her, but it was toote.

    Although Nee Chen was nervous at this moment, she was 70% certain that the Emperor would not punish her. That was because Wang Yiping had told her, ¡°The Empress wants you to quickly dissolve the engagement with the General¡¯s Manor, lest your Duke Yongnan fu struck by disaster. The Empress said, ¡®The Emperor probably wants to keep that cheap little wench for himself! So, it¡¯s good if she doesn¡¯te back. If shees back, you have to do everything to destroy her. She cannot enter the Pce.¡¯

    ¡°Would you let your son marry the person whom the Empress wants to destroy and let her bring disaster to your son?¡±

    Nee Chen had told Wang Yiping¡¯s words to the Duke and told him to dissolve the engagement. But the Duke had said, ¡°Old General Mu is worried about his granddaughter right now. We can¡¯t add fuel to the fire. We¡¯ll be scolded.

    ¡°We took advantage of themst time about the engagement. If we take avantage of them again to dissolve the engagement, we will be scolded to death. You can be shameless, but I cannot. Let¡¯s wait. I have to carefully think about what the Emperor is thinking.¡±

    As a result, this matter was dragged out like this. It couldn¡¯t be dragged any longer. Yu Lanxuan was right. ¡°If that cheap wench Mu Zi You proposes to dissolve the engagement first, Shizi¡¯s reputation will suffer.¡±

    Therefore, Mu Zi You could not suggest dissolving the engagement first. Duke Yongnan fu had to suggest dissolving the engagement first.

    Nee Chen thought of this and her uneasy mood slightly calmed down a bit. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Emperor, originally, this...... this official¡¯s wife shouldn¡¯t bring it up at this time. But our fu is small. We cannot tolerate Mu Xiaojie!

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen her in more than two years. Her Shifu is a man and she has so many martial brothers. Who knows what happened? We ordinary people can¡¯t afford to marry an immortal¡¯s disciple!¡±

    As soon as Nee Chen finished speaking, Nee Liu wanted to jump up in anger, but she was stopped by Mu YingYi.

    Wang Yiping immediately stood up and pretended to reproach her. ¡°Nee Chen, you¡¯re wrong. Our You¡¯er has been injured, so she was being treated. You can¡¯t have any crooked thoughts.¡±

    Nee Chen shook her head and looked scornful. ¡°It¡¯s even more objectionable because her injuries were being treated. Your daughter just said it. Her meridians were all broken. Let me ask you. If her meridians were all broken, then didn¡¯t her Shifu need to mend them?

    ¡°Our Duke Yongnan fu doesn¡¯t want someone whose body was touched all over by a man. Ah.......¡±

    She hadn¡¯t finished speaking, when Nee Chen covered her mouth. No one saw what happened when Old General Mu¡¯s body slightly shook in his wheelchair. ¡°I, Mu Junyuan, never hit women, but I made an exception today. That¡¯s because this woman deserves to be hit! When your son¡¯s leg was injured, you looked everywhere for a doctor. When he was about to die, Duke Yongnan came to beg me.

    ¡°My granddaughter became engaged to him to cure him regardless of your son¡¯s disability so she didn¡¯t have tomit suicide to maintain her reputation. She was injured from the sh flood because she was trying to save injured soldiers. She was saved by her Shifu, but you¡¯re now insulting my granddaughter.

    ¡°You b*stard! Let me ask you. Are those soldiers not human? They shouldn¡¯t be saved? Or was my granddaughter supposed to die from her injuries?¡±

    At this time, Wu Jieyu smiled coldly. ¡°Emperor, your consort thinks that Duke Yongnan furen makes sense. After all, men and women are different. Mu Xiaojie knew that she couldn¡¯t treat a man or have any skin contact with him, which was why she became engaged to Duke Yongnan Shizi. In the same token, for her to maintain her innocence, she should have died to prove her innocence and not ept her Shifu¡¯s treatment.¡±

    Wu Jieyu! Very good. You asked for it. If I don¡¯t make you die miserably today, then I would have studied for two years in ckwater Pool in vain.

    Zi You secretly gave Shuiling orders and then looked contemptuously at Wu Jieyu. She sneered and said, ¡°Jieyu, who told you that my Shifu is a man?¡±

    Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) and Mu YingYi sneered contemptuously. They even wanted to use the expert as a man to make trouble for Zi You and destroy her reputation. Then let¡¯s deal them a heavy blow!

    Everyone was stunned. Even Xuanwu Emperor asked, ¡°What? Your Shifu is a woman?¡±

    Zi You looked mockingly at Nee Chen and Wu Jieyu. She calmly replied, ¡°Replying to Emperor, Chennu¡¯s Shifu is a woman. She is......¡±

    The pce hall was silent. Everyone stared at Zi You and wanted to know who her Shifu was.

    Zi You calmly and clearly said, ¡°My maternal great-grandmother ¨C Indian Goddess Mari. Goddess Mari is the goddess of rain and flowers in India. She epts the people¡¯s worship. She is a true goddess. Chennu has lived in the Indian God Realm for the past two years. All the goddesses, guardians, and disciples there are female.¡±

    The pce hall waspletely silent. An embroidery needlending on the ground could be heard. A mor immediately sounded when Zi You finished speaking. ¡°Heavens! Really? There are really gods in this world?!¡±

    ¡°I knew it. How else could she have saved so many soldiers from the swamps? A god is omnipotent of course.¡±

    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s the truth when Mu Xiaojie said that she died, but she was saved.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be noisy!¡± Xuanwu Emperor obviously didn¡¯t expect that Zi You was a goddess¡¯ descendant. He couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Then your mother is the daughter of a goddess? How did she die then? Why didn¡¯t your great-grandmother save her?¡±

    Zi You bowed and calmly answered, ¡°That¡¯s correct. My mother is also a goddess. She didn¡¯t die. Her soul is immortal. My maternal grandmother, Goddess Mari, wanted her to go back to the Indian God Realm. So, my mother had to fake her death to deceive my grandfather, father, and uncle.

    ¡°My grandfather followed mother¡¯s request and sent her mortal body to Nanjiang. My mother soon came back to life, but my grandfather, father, and uncle didn¡¯t know. They didn¡¯t know that the expert who saved me on the mountains that day was my maternal grandmother. They thought that she was Bodhisattva Guanyin travelling on a cloud. Thus, they handed me to her with ease.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask officials from the Astronomy Department whether there was a blue light that covered the whole Mount Yunmeng on the day of the sh flood.¡±

    ¡°Where are the officials from the Astronomy Department?¡± Xuanwu Emperor shouted loudly. He didn¡¯t care about how Zi You referred to herself anymore. She didn¡¯t use ¡°Chennu,¡± but ¡°I¡± instead.

    Two officials from the Astromony Department came out in a fluster. They kowtowed and said, ¡°Replying to Emperor, Mu Xiaojie is right. Chen was on duty that night and observed the night sky. There was indeed a blue light that shed for about a quarter of an hour.¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor and all the officials looked shocked and dumfounded at Zi You.

    Some people were happy, scared, worried, regretful, resentful, and jealous. It was like many bottles were knocked over. They had all sorts of feelings.

    For example: Mu YingRui.

    For example: Zhao HongXiang.

    Who didn¡¯t want to obtain a goddess? But they were truly the biggest fools in the world. They had actually obtained a goddess, but they threw her away.

    Zhao HongXiang quickly stood up and knelt in front of the Emperor. He kowtowed remorsefully again and again. ¡°Emperor, Chen doesn¡¯t want to dissolve the engagement. Chen¡¯s mother didn¡¯t get Chen¡¯s consent before she asked to dissolve the engagement. Chen doesn¡¯t agree!¡±

    ¡°Marriage......¡± Xuanwu Emperor said this word before he was shocked by the following scene and couldn¡¯t speak anymore.

    Mu YingRui ran over to Zi You and grabbed a hold of her. He asked incredulously, ¡°You¡¯er, you said your mother...... She¡¯s still alive? She¡¯s really...... really a goddess?¡±

    Zi You looked coldly at her g father and nodded. ¡°Father, you shouldn¡¯t doubt this. Didn¡¯t mothere to see you?¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s face instantly turned pale! So, he was really pped and shaved by Dier. Then it wasn¡¯t difficult to exin what had happened.

    How hateful! So she really was a goddess. If he had treated her well back then, could he be enjoying life in the God Realm right now?

    Mu YingRui stood there stunned, which made Zi You secretly refreshed. You regret it now, right? This is just the beginning. From now on, I will return the bloody debts to you one by one!

    Taizi¡¯s face also changed! His remorse was like a poisonous snake. It didn¡¯t drill out, but it bit his internal organs. He was suffering unbearable pain, but he couldn¡¯t say it out loud.

    But Zi You¡¯s following words made him want to bang his head.

    ¡°My mother met the Great Yan army that was pacifiying the rebellion back then. If she didn¡¯t serve as a guide for them, the Great Yan army might not have seeded in the counterinsurgency. That was because Darong Ka¡¯s father was also a famous shaman in Nanjiang like Darong Ka was. The two spirit snakes that he raised were killed by my mother. Darong Ka¡¯s father couldn¡¯t withstand the blow of failure and died from illness.

    ¡°So, Darong Ka came to the capital and obtained Emperor and Taizi¡¯s trust. His purpose was to seek revenge. He knew that I am Dier¡¯s daughter and a descendant of an Indian goddess. He wanted to kill me, but I have spiritual power protecting me, so he could not harm me.

    ¡°As a result, he wanted to kill my grandfather and uncle, but he didn¡¯t expect that my great-grandmother knew everything that he did. She sent me and my mother to Nanjiang and saved my grandfather, uncle, and Great Yan¡¯s soldiers. That scoundrel actually gave a gu to my grandfather and uncle. My mother got rid of the gus, but Darong Ka was bitten by his own gu.

    ¡°When we upied Dali and before we entered the mountains for a counterattack, Darong Ka had died. But it¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s dead. If he¡¯s not dead, I will make him wish that he¡¯s dead!¡± Zi You scolded viciously. That not only attracted the officials¡¯ discussion, but the Emperor, the Empress, and Taizi were terrified!

    They were scared because they didn¡¯t know Zi You¡¯s ability. If she was as powerful as that whatever Goddess Mari, then wouldn¡¯t she know all about their conspiracy? The Empress wanted to refute, but she was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare to speak. She hid behind Wu Jieyu and nudged her.

    Wu Jieyu wasn¡¯t afraid of death and foolishly asked Zi You, ¡°Then isn¡¯t Mu Xiaojie omnipotent?¡±

    Zi You still calmly shook her head and replied, ¡°Does Jieyu think that it¡¯s so easy to be a god? One has to go through thousands of hardships and practice in dangerous situations. My current spiritual power can¡¯t evenpare to my grandmother and mother, much less my great-grandmother.¡±

    ¡°Then what can you do?¡± The Emperor was the most concerned about this question, so he shouted.

    Zi You slightly smiled. A brilliant smile appeared on her beautiful face, like flowers floating in the snow and underneath the moon. For a moment, the whole pce hall seemed to burst with a snow plum blossom scent.

    She clearly stood below the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress, but everyone was looking at her right now. She really was like a goddess standing on top of a mountain looking disdainfully at the mortal beings.

    At this moment, she was extremely beautiful. It was an extreme and unlimited disdain and self-confidence that emerged from the heart. The beauty eclipsed everyone there, including the most noble people in the world.

    They could hear a clear and cold voice ringing in the pce hall. ¡°Of course I can treat and heal someone. But I can also see through a person¡¯s body and see the true essence. I can also summon the wind and rain. Even Darong Ka can do this. If he didn¡¯t summon the heavy rain, the sh floods wouldn¡¯t have happened that day. Of course, the most powerful skill is killing someone! Do you want me to show you...... Emperor?¡±

    The Emperor looked at her smile that was not a smile. She was aloof and elegant. She didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of charm no matter what. She was just chillingly cold.

    Xuanwu Emperor swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He nodded with difficulty and asked, ¡°You can see through bodies and see the true essence?¡±

 Chapter 218 - Seeing the True Essence, Deformed Fetus and Snake Demon

    <h4>Chapter 218 Seeing the True Essence, Deformed Fetus and Snake Demon</h4>

    Zi You nodded and smiledzily. ¡°For example, if a woman is pregnant, I can see if she¡¯s pregnant with a boy or girl and if it¡¯s a single child or twins. And I can clearly see it ff someone has some swelling on his body.¡±

    ¡°You have such an ability?¡± The Empress Dowager immediately became curious.

    Shangguan LingRan (Eleventh martial nephew Yi He) immediately whispered into her ear.

    The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled at Zi You. ¡°Then take a look at your mother. Is she pregnant with a boy or a girl? Is it one child or twins?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Empress Dowager.¡± Zi You instantly focused her spiritual power in her eyes.

    At this time, her back was to the Emperor and she faced the officials and their families.

    They eximed in shock when they saw her eyes gradually turn purple. ¡°Heavens! Mu Xiaojie¡¯s eyes turned purple......¡±

    ¡°Wow! So beautiful......¡±

    The Emperor anxiously pushed his dragon chair away and walked over to Zi You.

    He also widened his peach blossom eyes in amazement! Her eyes were like dazzling purple amethysts in water that emitted an enchanting beauty.

    Everyone was focused on Zi You¡¯s eyes, but Zi You frowned and shouted, ¡°Ah!¡±

    The Emperor instantly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did you see?¡±

    Zi You pretended to shake in horror. She shook her head, as if she didn¡¯t want to say it.

    The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were worried. They urged in unison, ¡°Say it. What is it?¡±

    Zi You looked like she was in a difficult spot as she looked at Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui. A long time after the Emperor urged her again, she whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a girl. But the baby isn¡¯t normal. She...... She is a deformed fetus with two heads, three arms, and three legs.¡±

    How shocking! Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui instantly looked ashen.

    Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and angrily scolded, ¡°Mu Zi You, you can hate me, but this is your younger brother. You can¡¯t hurt him like this. You¡¯re really as poisonous as a snake!¡±

    Then she copsed on the table and silently cried. Her weak and helpless appearance suddenly attracted a lot of people¡¯s sympathy.

    No wonder there were rumors that Old General Mu, Zi You, Mu YingYi, and Nee Liu bullied the stepmother Wang Yiping. They pinned her nanny¡¯s crimes on her and beat her until her leg was wasted.

    These rumors didn¡¯t seem false. At the very least, Wang Yiping was Zi You¡¯s stepmother. No matter what, Mu Zi You couldn¡¯t publicly nder her unborn child as a deformed fetus!

    Zi You sneered to herself. She immediately looked like she med herself and said, ¡°Mother, the person asking is the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Your daughter can¡¯t deceive the monarch!

    ¡°You really can¡¯t keep this child. I didn¡¯t lie to you. She really is a...... Would I dare to deceive the Emperor and the Empress Dowager......?¡±

    Everyone started talking again. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the Emperor and the Empress Dowager who asked Mu Xiaojie to look at her mother¡¯s child. Would she dare to deceive the monarch?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. If the child is born and it¡¯s not the same as what she said, then she will be guilty of deceiving the monarch.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Just as everyong was talking, Shangguan LingRan suddenly shouted, ¡°Imperial grandmother, imperial uncle, it¡¯s very simple. If Mu furen suspects that Mu Xiaojie is wrong and she is deliberately harming her child, just bring some animals over. Let Mu Xiaojie examine them and we will verify it on the spot. Then won¡¯t we know if what she said is urate or not?¡±

    ¡°Someone,e......¡± The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t wait for the Emperor to say anything and shouted, ¡°Bring a few cats and dogs over. It¡¯s best if they¡¯re pregnant.¡±

    The Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes shed. She was secretly angry at Wang Yiping. She had heard about Nee Liu¡¯s matter more or less from Shangguan LingRan. It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t angry.

    No matter what, Nee Liu was her cousin¡¯s daughter. Although she was from a side branch, it wasn¡¯t up to Wang Yiping, a stepmother without a title, to bully her.

    The Empress Dowager knew that the Empress was fanning the mes from behind. She wanted to intervene, but Shangguan LingRan had stopped her.

    He had privately told her, ¡°Imperial grandmother, you should pretend that you don¡¯t know anything. Don¡¯t fight with that cunning Empress. She has a shaman around her. I¡¯m afraid that she will target you.¡±

    So in the two years since Zi You had been taken away by her Shifu, the Empress Dowager had listened to her grandson¡¯s orders and pretended to be ill. She hadn¡¯t interfered in the harem or the government.

    But this morning, her grandson hadughed happily and told her, ¡°Imperial grandmother, it¡¯s great. You¡¯er is back. You and grandfather don¡¯t need to pretend to be ill anymore.¡±

    Even the old Prime Minister hadn¡¯t interfered in anything. He wouldn¡¯t go to court every two or three days. The Empress Dowager had worried every day that something was going to happen.

    That was because her Emperor son and the Empress had done some things and made her angrier and angrier. But her grandson hadn¡¯t let her interfere, so she had listened to him.

    She didn¡¯t dare to make guarantees on anything else, but she absolutely dared to guarantee that her grandson Shangguan LingRan treated her sincerely.

    A sharp light shed in the Empress¡¯ eyes when she saw how the Empress Dowager acted. She secretly gritted her teeth and scolded, ¡®This old fool! She was a lot honest due to Darong Ka¡¯s nightmare spell making her ill. Why did Darong Ka die, but she¡¯s now making moves again? I knew this was going to happen, I should have told Darong Ka to kill her!¡¯

    The Empress didn¡¯t know that Zi You feared that Darong Ka would make trouble, so she had long told Shangguan LingRan the way to get rid of the nightmare spell.

    Before Shangguan LingRan left for India, he had taught his martial nephews the technique. So, the Empress Dowager and the old Prime Minister were safe and sound even after Darong Ka had cast the nightmare spell on them due to Zi You¡¯s technique.

    It was just that they had both been pretending in order to avoid detection by the Empress and Taizi.

    The pce servant responded and left. The Empress Dowager pulled Zi You over to sit next to her and asked her this and that.

    The pce servant came back after thirty minutes. He brought a cat, a dog, and a white horse with its groom.

    The cat and dog were indeed pregnant, but that white horse looked lifeless.

    Second Wangzi grew anxious. He pushed his wheelchair over to the horse. He chastised the groom in displeasure, ¡°Why did you bring this Wangzi¡¯s horse here? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    The pce servant quickly exined, ¡°Replying to Second Wangzi, Nucai wanted to find a pregnant mare, but the Imperial Stables¡¯ manager said that your Baiyun refused to eat for two days now. The veterinarians couldn¡¯t tell what¡¯s wrong with it. They heard why Nucai was there and knew that Mu Xiaojie has the ability to see through solid objects, so they told Nucai to bring Baiyun here.¡±

    The groom quickly bowed and said anxiously, ¡°Yes, Second Wangzi. The veterinarians can¡¯t tell what disease the horse has. So...... So......¡± He looked fearfully at Zi You and lowered his head.

    Although Second Wangzi was paralyzed, he had always cared about his horse. This was the foal of the horse that threw him off and made him paralyzed. That horse was regarded as the culprit and was sentenced to death.

    But Second Wangziter suspected that his horse was startled because of Taizi. So, he had been particrly distressed over this little horse that didn¡¯t have a mother. It finally grew up with difficulty. Of course Second Wangzi was anxious when he heard that this horse was ill.

    He looked pleadingly at Zi You. Others might now know Zi You¡¯s ability, but he was very clear. He certainly believed that Zi You could diagnose what disease his horse had and cure it.

    Zi You went over to the horse and used her spiritual power again. She looked carefully and said to Second Wangzi, ¡°Call a veterinarian over. There is a wire stuck in the horse¡¯s rectum. It must hurt when the horse excretes, so the horse doesn¡¯t want to eat. The wire isn¡¯t in very deep. The veterinarian should be able to stick his hand in and extract it out. Call the veterinarian over and I can tell him exactly where the wire is.¡±

    Second Wangzi immediately said to the pce servant, ¡°Hurry and call a veterinarian over!¡±

    The pce servant ran off to do it.

    Zi You then looked at the cat and dog. She said to the Empress and the Empress Dowager, ¡°The cat is pregnant with five kittens: two females and three males. The dog is pregnant with four puppies: two males and two females.¡±

    Wu Jieyu immediately said coyly to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, when the veterinarian gets here, tell him to cut open the cat and dog¡¯s stomachs to see if she¡¯s right......¡±

    Wu Jieyu then looked at Zi You and sneered ferociously. ¡°Mu Xiaojie, if you¡¯re wrong, do you know what crime youmitted......¡±

    ¡°Get out of the way, Emperor!¡± Wu Jieyu didn¡¯t finished speaking before Zi You shouted in shock. She pointed to Wu Jieyu and shouted, ¡°Emperor, Wu Jieyu is a snake demon.¡±

    Everyone was shocked! Wu Jieyu was originally not qualified to sit next to the Emperor. The Empress should have sat next to him. But Wu Jieyu was sent to the Emperor by Taizi and the Empress, so of course the Empress wouldn¡¯tpete with her.

    Not only did she notpete with her, but the Empress would look virtuous and generous every time. If Wu Jieyu sat next to the Emperor, not only could she fill his ears with nonsense, but the Emperor would also praise, ¡°The Empress is really understanding.¡±

    So, the Empress Dowager sat to the left of the Emperor today. Wu Jieyu sat on his right. The Empress sat to the right of her.

    With Zi You¡¯s shout, the Emperor and the Empress both jumped up in shock. The officials in the pce hall were also shocked and they looked at Wu Jieyu.

    Wu Jieyu was not really a snake demon, so she was naturally angry when she heard Zi You¡¯s shout. She started to scold Zi You, ¡°You¡¯re the snake demon. You¡¯re a demoness speaking nonsense. How dare you nder Bengong? Bengong......¡±

    ¡°Ah! She¡¯s really a snake!¡± Before she finished speaking, everyone started screaming......

 Chapter 219 - Wu Jieyu Dies, Offers an Immortal Flower, Requests to Dissolve the Engagement

    <h4>Chapter 219 Wu Jieyu Dies, Offers an Immortal Flower, Requests to Dissolve the Engagement</h4>

    Zi You¡¯s palms were facing Wu Jieyu. The blue light that Zi You shot out did indeed make Wu Jieyu look like she had a human head, but a snake¡¯s body. She was waving a colorful snake tail in the back.

    Zi You said to the terrified Emperor, ¡°This might be Darong Ka¡¯s spirit snake. Did he give Wu Jieyu to you, Emperor?¡±

    The Emperor originally didn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. But once Zi You mentioned Darong Ka, he instantly remembered that Darong Ka was rmended to him by Taizi. He was originally a suspicious person, so now he immediately suspected if Wu Jieyu was really a snake demon and not human.

    Zi You¡¯s next words changed his hesitation to 100% affirmation.

    ¡°Emperor, does she have a strong fragrance on her body? That¡¯s because a snake smells fishy. So to hide this smell, she hid a special musk pill in her navel. The scent that you smell now is musk and not her own scent.

    ¡°Think again. Is her waist particrly soft and flexible? Hehe...... She¡¯s a snake! How can she not be flexible?¡± Zi Youughed mockingly.

    The Emperor recalled Wu Jieyu¡¯s bonelessness as she wrapped herself around his body. His face turned ck and then green. Finally, it became a bloodless white.

    He pointed to Wu Jieyu¡¯s writhing body and shouted in horror, ¡°Burn her to death! Burn her to death for Zhen......¡±

    ¡°Move out of the way!¡± Zi You shouted. Actually, there was no one around Wu Jieyu right now. Even the Empress had shed far away, not to mention the other consorts. The Empress Dowager was taken away by Shangguan LingRan far away.

    A purple beam shed out of Zi You¡¯s palms. The human-headed and snake-bodied Wu Jieyu was enveloped with a purple me all over and soon turned into ashes.

    Everyone trembled in fear when they saw this.

    No one knew that Wu Jieyu wasn¡¯t actually a snake demon, but really human. This was a y acted out by Zi You and Shuiling.

    Shuiling used her spiritual power to hide Wu Jieyu¡¯s appearance and turn her into a snake. Who let here out to repeatedly provoke Zi You and act as the Empress¡¯ mouthpiece? This was what happened when you¡¯re a dog!

    Zi You looked at the horrified expressions of the Emperor and everyone else. Like a magician, she took out a pot with a brilliant and lustrous flower in it. She said to Xuanwu Emperor, ¡°Emperor, when Siddharta Guatama Buddha became a Buddha, Earth shook. All of the gods praised and the hungry ghosts in Hell stopped wailing. The heavenly drums yed. Mandara flowers, gold flowers, silver flowers, ss flowers, lotuses, and so on rained from the sky.

    ¡°Siddharta Gautama reached the end of Buddhist teachings and started to teach dsicples the true meaning of the universe. Heavenly music constantly sounded in the Western Paradise. The ground is covered with gold.

    ¡°A very fragrant and beautiful flower called the mandara flower fell down from the sky day and night without interruption. The Earth became colorful. This flower is the mandara flower. It has achieved immortality. It can transform into a human and grant many of your wishes.

    ¡°My great-grandmother gave it to me when I left the God Realm. I now present it to you, Emperor. May Buddha and the gods always protect the Emperor!¡±

    ¡°Is this true?¡± Xuanwu Emperor was overjoyed. Before Siddharta Guatama became a Buddha, he was a prince of India. The Emperor himself was also a believer in Buddha. Thergest and most prosperous Putuo Temple was the imperial temple.

    Xuanwu Emperor¡¯s excitement couldn¡¯t be described with words when he heard that Zi You¡¯s great-grandmother Goddess Mari gave her the mandara flower that she was now giving to him and the mandara flower could take on a human form.

    He grabbed the mandara flower from Zi You¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t put it down. He also smelled its light and elegant fragrance from time to time.

    But he didn¡¯t know that if he smelled the mandara flower for a long time, he would hallucinate and feel an indescribable sense of pleasure. So, Xuanwu Emperor felt refreshed, as if everything had be beautiful right now.

    The Empress was envious, jealous, and resentful. She really hated that she couldn¡¯t slice Zi You into a million pieces.

    But Wu Jieyu was dead. There was no one who could be her mouthpiece anymore. She could only jump out herself and say to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, Mu Xiaojie says this is an immortal flower that can take on a human form. Then why don¡¯t you tell Mu Xiaojie to transform this flower ino a human for us all to see?¡±

    Zi You immediately guessed her intentions. As soon as she transformed the flower into a human, the Empress would certainly im, ¡°Wu Jieyu turned into a snake must be because of Mu Xiaojie. Since she can turn a flower into a person, why can¡¯t she turn a human into a snake?¡±

    So, Zi You instantly shook her head and said, ¡°Chennu cannot. How can mortals casually see an immortal¡¯s appearance? Not to mention, Chennu isn¡¯t capable of making it transform. Emperor, as long as you want to, recite, ¡®Nanwu Heluo Dana,¡¯ it will take on a human form and be at yourmand.¡±

    The Emperor red fiercely at the Empress. He thought, ¡®Zhen is the true dragon Emperor, so of course, Zhen can see the fairy. Who do you think you are? You want to bask in the fairy¡¯s grce?¡¯

    Then he turned to look very amiably at Zi You andughed out loud. ¡°Haha...... You¡¯er, what reward do you want? You made great meritorious efforts to pacify the rebellion in Nanjiang. And now you gave an immortal flower to Zhen. Your loyalty ismendable. You should be rewarded. What do you want?¡±

    He then looked lecherously at Zi You. He wanted Zi You to immediately say the words that he had been desperately yearning for: ¡°I want to enter the Pce to keep the Emperorpany.¡±

    Zi You knelt down and said righteously, ¡°Chennu is Great Yan¡¯s citizen. Although Chennu is female, Chennu should still share the burdens of the country. Chennu doesn¡¯t dare to seek any rewards.

    ¡°If the Emperor really wants to give out rewards, then please reward the soldiers and the female medical team members. They are really brave and very strong. The female medical team members especially, really made great meritorious achievements to reduce casualties among the soldiers.

    ¡°That is Chennu¡¯s first request. Chennu still has two more requests that Chennu hopes Emperor will allow.¡±

    ¡°What requests?¡± The Emperor suppressed the excitement in his heart as he asked.

    Zi You gracefully and calmly bowed. ¡°Please dissolve the engagement between Chennu and Duke Yongnan Shizi.¡±

    The pce hall was instantly a cacophony of noise.

    Many officials and their familiesmented. This banquet tonight was really worthing to. The good shows just kept oning.

    Zhao HongXiang hadn¡¯t returned to his seat yet. The Emperor didn¡¯t tell him to rise, so he had been kneeling until now. When he heard that Zi You wanted to dissolve their engagement, he immediately looked up at Zi You and eximed, ¡°Why, You meimei? My mother¡¯s words don¡¯t represent my wishes.¡±

    Zi You didn¡¯t even look at him. She said uprightly to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, Chennu returned home and Yu daren¡¯s second daughter, Yu Lanxuan, came to find Chennu. She said that she wanted Chennu to fulfill her love for Duke Yongnan Shizi and dissolve the engagement with him.

    ¡°Chennu saw how sadly she cried and how sincere she is to Duke Yongnan Shizi, so Chennu will willingly dissolve the engagement and fulfill Yu Xiaojie¡¯s wish.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan stood up anxiously and defended herself. ¡°How can you be like this, Mu Xiaojie? When did I say that? If you want to dissolve the engagement, you can¡¯t frame and nder me and Shizi. Emperor, Chennu doesn¡¯t want live anymore. How can Chennu live when Chennu has been this insulted?¡±

    ¡°Yu Xiaojie, I am kindly trying to fulfill your wish, but why don¡¯t you appreciate it and instead, say that I¡¯m framing you? Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re already Shizi¡¯s woman? You¡¯re willing to be a servant or a ve to him for a lifetime? I can¡¯t bear it if you be a servant or a ve, so I¡¯m giving you the position as Shizi¡¯s main wife.

    ¡°But why are you saying this now? Marriage is not child¡¯s y. Emperor, if you don¡¯t believe it, find an elderly pce maid to verify whether Yu Xiaojie is still pure. Then you will know whether Chennu is framing her.¡±

    Zi You shook her head in confusion. She seemed very sad. Ayer of mist immediately appeared over her purple eyes and made her eyes even more shockingly beautiful, as if she had the power to hook someone¡¯s soul out.

    So, the Emperor immediately agreed to what she said. ¡°Someone, bring two elderly pce maids over to examine Yu Xiaojie.¡±

    ¡°Emperor!¡± Yu Lanxuan¡¯s father couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. If his daughter was examined, her life would be ruined.

    Yu daren plead, ¡°Emperor, Mu Xiaojie wants to destroy Chen¡¯s daughter¡¯s life because Chen¡¯s daughter is Mu Xiaojie¡¯s stepmother¡¯s niece! Emperor, you must not examine Chen¡¯s daughter......¡±

    Zi You pretended to shake her head in confusion. ¡°Yu daren, if I really want to destroy your daughter¡¯s life, then I wouldn¡¯t have proposed to dissolve the engagement in the first ce. Wouldn¡¯t that be more embarrassing for her? What is more tragic than if her husband¡¯s family discovers that she is not pure? Or what if a noble daughter ends up as a servant or ve? Or what if she has to be a nun?

    ¡°Moreover, this is about a woman¡¯s reputation. When Yu Xiaojie talked to me, my maidservant was there. She can prove that I am not framing Yu Xiaojie. When ites to framing, it is Yu Xiaojie who is not reserved. Can she say these things so casually to people? If so, can she casually tell everyone here then? Or was Yu Xiaojie demonstrating her strength to me?

    ¡°As soon as I came back, I learned that my fianc¨¦ had an affair with another woman. As long as Yu Xiaojie is examined and is determined whether she is pure or not, the truth will be revealed. Otherwise, you will only say that of course my maidservant will say what I want her to say.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on saying this matter out loud. I wanted to keep this a secret for Yu Xiaojie. But you said that I am framing her, so don¡¯t me me for this. I can¡¯t let her steal my fianc¨¦, but still have to keep quiet about it. Is Chennu right, Emperor?¡±

 Chapter 220 - I Want You to Experience the Pain of My Previous Life 1,000 times Over

    <h4>Chapter 220 I Want You to Experience the Pain of My Previous Life 1,000 times Over</h4>

    Yu daren never thought that Zi You would be so articte. She left him speechless and unable to refute a single word. He could only hold firm that Yu Lanxuan had never said those things and that Mu Zi You was framing her.

    Yu daren immediately winked at Yu Lanxuan.

    Zi You smiledzily and said slowly, ¡°Yu Xiaojie, I advise you not to y any tricks and just admit it. I have a thousand ways to make you and Duke Yongnan Shizi tell the truth. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    She was smiling and she spoke very gently, but Yu Lanxuan, Zhao HongXiang, and Yu daren felt a chill all over.

    Zi You¡¯s eyes were very cold. Her supple and soft curved eyebrows shrouded her translucent eyes. She seemed graceful and soft, but she looked at people strikingly, like water meandering. And because of this, when she smiled sincerely, her face turned soft. But when she was angry, her smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Her cold eyes would shine with a cold and chilling light.

    Yu Lanxuan and her father were stunned. At this time, the Emperor pointed to Yu Lanxuan and shouted again. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you examining her yet?¡±

    Yu Lanxuan waspletely stunned silly! She had thought that Zi You cared a lot about Zhao HongXiang and would never publicly suggest dissolving the engagement. So, she had gambled that Zi You wouldn¡¯t publicize what she had told her today because Zhao HongXiang¡¯s reputation would be destroyed.

    She had thought that Zi You would suffer all sorts of grievances for Zhao HongXiang. Otherwise, it would have been absolutely impossible for Zi You to be engaged to him just to treat his leg and she absolutely would not have told Zhao HongXiang that he could never have any other women besides Zi You.

    Yu Lanxuan had thought that Zi You wanted to monopolize Zhao HongXiang. If Zi You didn¡¯t care about Zhao HongXiang, then why would she do so much?

    It seemed that Yu Lanxuan was deceived. She was deceived by this darned girl.

    If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have said those words to provoke Zi You and make her angry.

    She regretted it, but it was toote. She was dragged away by two stout elderly pce maids. Before she could react, her pants were already stripped off.

    The two elderly pce maids were old veterans who had experienced a lot in the Pce.

    They originally looked at each other and thought that if this darned girl was still pure, should they do Mu Xiaojie a favor and break Yu Lanxuan¡¯s hymen?

    But they took a look now and looked contemptuous.

    They went to report to the Emperor. ¡°Emperor, Yu Xiaojie is no longer a maiden.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The Emperor mmed a hand down on his chair and asked with interest to get to the bottom of it, ¡°How do you know?¡±

    The other elderly pce maid immediately exined, ¡°It can be seen how long it¡¯s been since she was pure. It can also be seen if one frequently sleeps with men too. This Yu Xiaojie isn¡¯t much different than a woman who¡¯s been married for a year. She must have been with a man more than once.¡±

    Thunder struck everyone again!

    The pce hall started to loudly discuss again. For a period of time, everything was said.

    ¡°I knew it. Her sister is so shameless, so how good can she be?¡±

    ¡°She obviously stole Mu Xiaojie¡¯s fianc¨¦, but she dares to be so arrogant and show off in front of Mu Xiaojie.¡±

    ¡°So extremely shameless! She isn¡¯t married, but they¡¯re already rolling around together.¡±

    ¡°Duke Yongnan Shizi is also nothing good! His fianc¨¦e¡¯s life or death is unknown, but he has the mind to cheat. And he¡¯s still pretending to look like his love is as deep as the ocean.¡±

    ¡°Duke Yongnan furen is even more shameless. She used Mu Xiaojie to treat her son¡¯s leg, but she¡¯s now framing Mu Xiaojie. So ungrateful. She¡¯s our Great Yan shame.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    An imperial censor stood up and said indignantly, ¡°Emperor, this matter must be severely punished! This is simply Great Yan¡¯s disgrace!¡±

    Imperial Censor Lu¡¯s words were directly to the point. ¡°Emperor, not only should you allow Mu Xiaojie to dissolve the engagement, but you also have to severely punish Duke Yongnan fu, Yu daren, and Yu Xiaojie. Only then can webat their crooked and wicked thoughts and propose righteousness.

    ¡°Mu Xiaojie is the savior of the soldiers who went to pacify the rebellion. She is a hero to the citizens. But Yu Xiaojie and Duke Yongnan Shizi have greatly humiliated Mu Xiaojie. If that can be endured, that what couldn¡¯t?! If the soldiers stationed in Nanjiang and the citizens find out, it will inevitably cause chaos. Emperor, you have to hand out severe punishments.¡±

    The Emperor knew that Zi You¡¯s prestige was very high for the soldiers and the citizens. When she entered the city today, the citizens spontaneously stood on either side of the streets. They didn¡¯t call out ¡°Old General Mu¡± or ¡°Young General Mu.¡± Instead, they called out ¡°Mu Xiaojie¡± and ¡°Commander Mu.¡±

    It was as Imperial Censor Lu said. If her engagement matter wasn¡¯t taken care of properly, it would chill the hearts of millions of soldiers and citizens.

    So, just as the Emperor started to speak, Zhao HongXiang howled like a pig was being killed. ¡°Chen has been wronged, Emperor! Chen never had any contact with Yu Xiaojie, so how can Chen have an affair with her? Please investigate, Emperor. Chen is innocent!¡±

    Yu Lanxuan never would have thought that Zhao HongXiang would push her out at this time and hide in the back at this critical moment. She thought about how scared she was in this past year and how much contraceptive soup she had drunk just to be with him.

    However, more than a year of affection was worth less than Zi You¡¯s words. For Zi You, he threw Yu Lanxuan away like a dirty rag.

    Yu Lanxuan looked at Zhao HongXiang. Her heart felt as if thousands of knives were stabbed in it and then pulled out. She was in pain from the inside out, which made her lips tremble. She was stunned silly.

    Zi You looked at her and felt very refreshed. Cheap wench! You¡¯ve finally tasted the feeling of being betrayed by your lover, right? But this is just the beginning. From now on, I will make you live in Hell every day and make you wish you were dead!

    After she decided, Zi You said to Zhao HongXiang, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Shizi. Yu Xiaojie sincerely likes you. Otherwise, how can she do such a crazy thing without any regard for her reputation? On ount of her wholehearted devotion to you, you...... You should take responsibility for her. You¡¯re a man. You can¡¯t let a woman take all the me for you.¡±

    These words were scolding Zhao HongXiang for not being a man and pleading for Yu Lanxuan in a roundabout way. But Zi You understood Zhao HongXiang and Nee Chen very well. They viewed their reputations and personal interests very highly.

    At this moment, Yu Lanxuan not only could not help Zhao HongXiang, but she would even destroy Zhao HongXiang¡¯s reputation. Zhao HongXiang and his mother must certainly hate Yu Lanxuan to death.

    Sure enough, Nee Chen immediately shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t marry her, Xiang¡¯er. Her reputation is ruined. You absolutely cannot marry her.¡±

    Since you don¡¯t want to marry Yu Lanxuan, I definitely will not let you have your way! Zi You looked mockingly at Nee Chen before saying to the Emperor, ¡°Emperor, please dissolve Chennu and Duke Yongnan Shizi¡¯s engagement. Chennu is a descendant of a goddess. A god¡¯s purpose is to help the world. Although Yu Xiaojie stole Chennu¡¯s fianc¨¦, she is a good friend after all. Chennu rather she let Chennu down than ruin her whole life. She did this muddleheaded thing for love. But we can¡¯t force her to die or ruin her life because of this.

    ¡°Forget it. Gods are merciful. Let¡¯s forgive them!¡± Zi You looked like she couldn¡¯t bear it, but she was thinking, ¡®You want to get rid of Yu Lanxuan? Keep dreaming! I want your son to marry Yu Lanxuan. I want you to keep scolding her and remember the shame that she brought to your fu. I want to see how loving they will be. I want you to experience the pain of my previous life 1,000 times over!¡¯

    Zi You could see that Yu Lanxuan was already pregnant. She wanted Yu Lanxuan to also experience the pain of losing her child. She would scheme so that Zhao HongXiang would personally kill his own child, just like he did to her in her previous life.

    No one knew what Zi You was really thinking. They saw her speaking up for the two people and even persuading the Emperor to fulfill them, so they instantly praised Zi You. ¡°She¡¯s really kind. No wonder she¡¯s the descendant of a goddess. Her good friend stole her fianc¨¦, she was insulted by her future mother-inw, and she was betrayed by both her fianc¨¦ and good friend. But she is still thinking for their sake. She is really virtuous and magnanimous.

    The Empress Dowager immediately said, ¡°Emperor, Mu Xiaojie is really a model of our Great Yan¡¯s virtue and generosity! Even Aijia is moved by her. Forget it. Just do what Mu Xiaojie says and fulfill her kindness. However, Shizi¡¯s actions are so preposterous. He is no longer worthy to be Duke Yongnan Shizi.¡±

    Nee Chen shouted anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s not my son¡¯s fault. It¡¯s that cheap little wench who seduced him.¡±

    ¡°En......¡± Shangguan LingRan (Yi He) scolded, ¡°This darned old woman is so unreasonable! Your son ate her clean, but he doesn¡¯t want to take responsibility? Is he still a man? Of course a coward like this who dares to do it, but doesn¡¯t dare to take responsibility doesn¡¯t deserve to be Shizi. My imperial grandmother and imperial uncle are really wise!¡±

    Zhao HongXiang saw that things were getting out of control. He anxiously and quickly begged Zi You for mercy. ¡°You meimei, You meimei, I beg you! Don¡¯t dissolve the engagement. It¡¯s really that woman who seduced me. You should know that I love you. I have always vowed that I won¡¯t marry anyone else but you!¡±

    He tried to grab Zi You¡¯s clothing.

    Zi You quickly moved away. She looked at him like she was looking at a monster. She said mockingly, ¡°Vow? What where you doing when I was in the Indian God Realm¡¯s ckwater Pool about to be devoured by poisonous snakes and crocodiles? You were being intimate with her. Where were you when all of my meridians were broken and I was about to die? You didn¡¯t evene see me once. Vows don¡¯t represent your heart. I said it before. I, Mu Zi You, don¡¯t want glory or wealth. I just want to be with one person for a lifetime!¡±

 Chapter 221.1 - Slag Male and Slag Female Punished, Shizi Proposes in Public Part 1/3

    <strong>Chapter 221 g Male and g Female Punished, Shizi Proposes in Public Part 1/3</strong>

    At this point, Zi You looked around at everyone. She said in a clear voice, ¡°Even if that person is a dandy, idiot, or amoner, as long as he treats me wholeheartedly, I will marry him. Otherwise, I rather not marry anyone for my entire life!

    ¡°You know what I want. You signed an agreement and you made a vow. But what¡¯s the use of them? When my life and death were uncertain, you betrayed your vow to me.¡± Zi You¡¯sst sentence was said decisively and firmly, whichpletely disabused Zhao HongXiang of his idea to make up with her.

    Hepletely panicked! He knew if Zi You wouldn¡¯t forgive him, he would lose the opportunity to inherit the Duke¡¯s title. But before he had time to beg for mercy again, the Emperor said, ¡°Zhao HongXiang is stripped of the right to inherit Duke Yongnan¡¯s title. He is demoted to amoner and will never work for the government as an official. Yu Lanxuan will marry Zhao HongXiang, but she is not allowed to ever step out of Duke Yongnan fu. It¡¯s embarrassing if such a womanes out to see people!

    ¡°On ount of Mu Xiaojie pleading on your behalf, Zhen will spare you from parading the streets in sin. However, the dealth penalty can be forgiven, but the crime cannot. Someone,e....... Beat each of them with boards thirty times. Let the all the noble sons and daughters remember to show restraint and not do any immoral or disgraceful things.

    ¡°Yu daren and Nee Chen are negligent in teaching their children. Yu daren¡¯s sry will be withheld for one year. Nee Chen will be stripped of her second-rank furen title.¡±

    Nee Chen, Zhao HongXiang, and Yu Lanxuan never expected that they nned on giving Zi You a head-on blow that would humiliate her, but the head-on blow and humiliation now fell on themselves. Moreover, it was humiliation and a head-on blow that would make them regret for a lifetime.

    Zhao HongXiang was resentful and angry, but he didn¡¯t feel guilty towards Zi You at all. He just felt hatred for Yu Lanxuan. He thought that if it wasn¡¯t for her, he could have sessfully inherited the Duke¡¯s title and married Zi You. He would have be the envy of all the men in the world.

    Nee Chen also gritted her teeth in hatred. ¡®When that cheap little wench marries over, I won¡¯t be human if I don¡¯t torture her to death!¡¯

    They were dragged out and beaten with boards. Then the Emperor and Empress Dowager remembered that Zi You could see through solid objects.

    The Emperor said to the veterinarian standing to the side, ¡°Treat the horse ording to what Mu Xiaojie says.¡±

    The veterinarian hurried over to bow to Zi You.

    Zi You pointed to the area underneath the horse¡¯s tail and said, ¡°Put your hand in there. Gently feel around your wrist area. There is a wire lodged in its intestinal wall. Gently take the wire out. I will help you stabilize the horse and not let it move. When I tell you to, you can start moving.¡±

    Zi You ced her hand on and gently stroked the horse¡¯s head. Sure enough, the horse stopped its movements and quieted down.

    The veterinarian followed Zi You¡¯s instructions. Zi You said, ¡°Move a little higher. Feel around slowly. Right in front of your middle finger. You can feel it if you move forward a little. Slowly remove the wire from the intestinal wall......¡±

 Chapter 221.2 - Slag Male and Slag Female Punished, Shizi Proposes in Public Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 221.2<strong> g Male and g Female Punished, Shizi Proposes in Public Part 2/3</strong></h4>

    Zi You¡¯s voice seemed to be magical and appeased the veterinarian¡¯s nervous mood. He followed Zi You¡¯s instructions and gently and slowly touched a thin wire.

    ¡°Good.¡± Zi You smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s it. You touched it.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This official touched it.¡± The veterinarian was very excited. His voice contained an excitement that couldn¡¯t be suppressed.

    Soon, a thin wire stained with horse manure was extracted by the verterinarian.

    Zi You immediately praised him, ¡°You did very well. Go wash your hands. I¡¯ll treat the horse. Its intestinal hall is punctured. I¡¯m going to heal it.¡±

    She gathered her spiritual power in her palms. A blue beam soon appeared and shot under the horse¡¯s tail.

    About fifteen minutester, she retracted her spiritual power and said to Second Wangzi, ¡°Your horse is fine now.¡±

    Tears almost fell when Second Wangzi looked at her! This horse was snow-white, so the people at the Imperial Stables called it ¡°Baiyun.¡±* But no one knew that he called the horse ¡°Sinian¡±* to mourn for its mother: the horse that was wronged like he was and tragically died. This horse meant a lot to him.

    [Baiyun = White Cloud

    Sinian = To miss, to remember]

    Zi You cured him and now she cured his beloved horse. So, how could he not be grateful?

    ¡°Thank you, Mu Xiaojie!¡± Second Wangzi bowed in excitement and adoration.

    Zi You bowed lightly in return. Then she turned and avoided his burning eyes.

    The veterinarian came back at this time. He lifted the wire in his hands and showed it to everyone in the pce hall. He bowed deeply to Zi You. ¡°This official deeply admires Mu Xiaojie¡¯s medical skills!¡±

    The Emperor seemed to have forgotten that he had tried to kill Old General Mu. Heughed happily. ¡°Haha...... How godly! Hurry and go cut open the stomachs of that dog and cat. See if the puppies and kittens are the same as what Mu Xiaojie said.¡±

    ¡°Emperor!¡± Zi You anxiously called out. She softly advised, ¡°The heavens are kind. All living things have lives. It¡¯s better not to hurt them. What if you order someone to take care of the cat and dog? Emperor and Empress Dowager can verify it when they give birth naturally. If it is differen than what Chennu said, Chennu is willing to ept then punishment.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait.¡± The Emperor was clearly eager to know the results even thought he agreed to what Zi You said. He looked at the pitiful cat and dog and said to the veterinarian, ¡°Take good care of that cat and dog. When they give birth, hurry and report it to Zhen.¡±

    ¡°Chen obeys the decree!¡± The veterinarian quickly bowed. He went over to pick up the cat and dog and eximed, ¡°Reporting to the Emperor, this cat is about to give birth.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you delivering the kittens?¡± The Emperor waved his hand excitedly.

    The Empress immediately said, ¡°Emperor, this is rted to Mu Xiaojie¡¯s reputation. It¡¯s better to send someone to carefully watch over the cat¡¯s birth.¡±

    ¡°Eunuch Yu, go watch over the veterinarian.¡± The Emperor knew what the Empress meant. She was afraid the veterinarian would do something. In that case, he sent his confidant Eunuch Yu over. Let¡¯s see who would dare to cheat or speak nonsense.

 Chapter 221.3 - Slag Male and Slag Female Punished, Shizi Proposes in Public Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 221.3 g Male and g Female Punished, Shizi Proposes in Public Part 3/3</h4>

    The veterinian went to deliver the kittens. The atmosphere suddenly cooled. Shangguan LingRan (Yi He) whispered to the Empress Dowager, ¡°Imperial grandmother, bestow the marriage.¡±

    The Empress Dowager instantly smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯er, you¡¯ve reached marriageable age already and you dissolved your engagement with that Zhao HongXiang. What if Aijia bestows a marriage on you then?¡±

    The entire ce turned silent! At this point in time, Zi You¡¯s marriage was enough to get everyone¡¯s attention. After all, she had an extraordinary identity and abilities. However, her requirement made all the men feel awkward. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t willing to give up all the women for her, but it was because they couldn¡¯t do so, like the Emperor, Taizi, and Third Wangzi for example.

    The three of themmented to themselves. ¡®What a pity. Zhen (Benwangzi) can give up all the women for you, but Zhen (Benwangzi) can¡¯t give up the world. Without those women, there wouldn¡¯t be the support from those women¡¯s families. It¡¯s true that you¡¯re a goddess, but can you let Zhen (Benwangzi) be immortal or let Zhen (Benwangzi) tightly grasp the world forever?¡¯

    The three of them hesitated. But it was toote!

    ¡°Shangguan LingRan¡± jumped out and shouted, ¡°Imperial grandmother, your grandson is willing to marry Mu Xiaojie and not have any other women in this lifetime.¡±

    The Empress Dowager pretended to be shocked and reprimanded, ¡°Nonsense! You are An Wang Shizi. You shoulder the rise and fall of An Wang fu. How can you have only one wife?¡±

    ¡°Shangguan LingRan¡± knelt down and kowtowed. He begged piteously, ¡°Imperial grandmother, your grandson begs you! Your grandson is willing to give up everything for Mu Xiaojie and be with one person for one lifetime!¡±

    ¡°This......¡± The Empress Dowager pretended to look like she was in a difficult spot as she looked at the Emperor.

    The Emperor immediately looked at Zi You. She was frowning and looked disdainful. He was happy and said, ¡°You¡¯er, it¡¯s your marriage. You can decide yourself. Zhen will bestow a marriage on you to whomever you like.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling the truth, Emperor?¡± Zi You wasn¡¯t cold like before and revealed a little girl¡¯s naivete.

    It made the Emperor overjoyed. He thought, ¡®Does this yatou want to marry Zhen? If she says she wants to marry Zhen, should Zhen dismiss the harem then?¡¯

    Xuanwu Emperor was daydreaming when he heard Zi You say, ¡°Chennu said that whether he is a dandy, idiot, or amoner, Chennu is willing to marry him as long as he treats Chennu wholeheartedly. Chennu has one question. As long as someone fulfills Chennu¡¯s requirement and answers Chennu¡¯s question, Chennu will immediately agree to marry him.¡±

    At this time, a few males also stood out. The capital¡¯s ¡°Four Tyrants¡± stood there very impressively.

    Third Wangzi wanted to step out, but he thought of the country and power. He gritted his teeth and held back.

    Taizi was the same. He endured the gut-wrenching conflict in himself and didn¡¯t step out.

    Second Wangzi¡¯s fists clenched so tightly that his veins showed and his nails pierced into his flesh.

    He wanted to step out too. He wasn¡¯t afraid that he would expose that he was healed and punished by his Fuwang for deceiving the monarch. But he didn¡¯t receive a sign from Zi You, so he didn¡¯t dare to act rashly and ruin their n for revenge.

    Second Wangzi stared at Zi You. He hoped that she would look at him even for a little bit. But he was disappointed. Zi You didn¡¯t look at him from beginning to end.

    Zi You stood quietly in the middle of the pce hall. The bright candlelight shone on her body and gave her a hazy glow. Her snow-like white face showed off her beautiful facial features. Her quiet figure was aloof and independent. The wind and her hair lightly danced behind her, as if the fairy was about to leave by riding the wind and flying away from the mortal world.

 Chapter 223.1 - Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 223 Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 1/3</h4>

    Moreover, since Mu Zi You revealed her identity, she had been guiding the Emperor to go on the road that she had paved. Shepletely controlled the decisions that he made.

    Even Mu Zi You and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s engagement made the Empress feel like she was being deceived. Was Shangguan LingRan really a dandy? She had always been suspicious, but she couldn¡¯t find any evidence.

    She was deeply uneasy, so she quietly whispered in the Emperor¡¯s ear, ¡°Emperor, did you forget that Shangguan LingRan has two moles on his forehead? What will we do if he obtains Mu Zi You¡¯s help in the future?¡±

    Of course Zi You could hear what she said. So, Zi You looked deeply at the Empress and said calmly to the uncertain Xuanwu Emperor, ¡°Emperor, the Indian God Realm attaches the most importance to vows. Please don¡¯t worry! Chen vows that Chen and Chen¡¯s grandfather and uncle will always be loyal to the Emperor and never do anything treasonous. Otherwise, we will end up like this sword.¡±

    Zi You waved. A guard¡¯s sword flew into her hands. She gently snapped it and it instantly broke into two.

    ¡°Good. Good! Zhen knows that Old General Mu, Young General Mu, and the National Guardian are loyal to Zhen. Someone,e. Reward Mu Junyuan, Mu YingYi, and Mu Zi You white jade ruyis, 1,000 gold taels, and 10,000 sivers. Reward Mu Zi You a box of......¡± Xuanwu Emperor was overjoyed and rewarded a bunch of gold and silvers. All of the soldiers and female medical team members were rewarded. The female medical team members were promoted to seventh-rank female officials.

    However, he didn¡¯t know that Zi You was ying a word game. She swore allegiance to the Emperor. But if the current Emperor wasn¡¯t the Emperor anymore, then they didn¡¯t have to be loyal of course.

    The Empress¡¯ liver hurt from anger. She winked at the previously favored Yu Meiren and signaled her to cause some trouble.

    But Yu Meiren thought about how Wu Jieyu hadpeted for favor with her since she had arrived. So, she acted like she didn¡¯t see the Empress¡¯ gaze and ignored her.

    The Empress was very angry. She didn¡¯t have anyone else to use, so she could only do it herself. She said, ¡°Emperor, Old General Mu returned in triumph. Shouldn¡¯t we get all thedies to perform songs and dances in celebration?¡±

    The Emperor didn¡¯t know this was a scheme, so he nodded. ¡°All thedies who can sing and dancee out to perform.¡±

    All of thedies immediately stepped out to perform songs and dances. Usually at this time, it was when thedies showed off their talents for their future marriage prospects.

    Shen Biqian was originally Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s studypanion and she had suffered Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s humiliations. She was very happy when Shangguan Lingluo was demoted to amoner from Zi You¡¯s scheme and was finally killed by Taizi.

    But because she was Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s studypanion, a tragedy also befell her. She was a Shu daughter, so all of her glory was given to her by Shangguan Lingluo.

    So after Shangguan Lingluo died, she wasn¡¯t bullied anymore. However, problems soon came. Everyone was respectful and tried to curry favor with her because she had been Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s studypanion before, but now they looked at her full of contempt like they were looking at Shangguan Lingluo herself.

    She fell into another circle. Her Di sisters, Di mother, yiniangs, and Shu sisters all started to bully her.

    So, she had begun to hate Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s death. She even hated Zi You and Third Wangzi who had caused Shangguan Lingluo to be amoner and banished to the Cold Pce.

 Chapter 223.2 - Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 223 Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 2/3</h4>

    Shen Biqian and Zi You were the same age. They were both fifteen. It should be time for her to get engaged, but she wasn¡¯t good enough for a good match and too proud to settle for a bad one. Even Wei Mingrui of the Four Tyrants didn¡¯t want her.

    So, she was jealous of and hated Zi You. After she performed her Long Silk Dance, she immediately remembered Zi You and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s contest from that time.

    She recalled that Zi You had given up the dancepetition and instantly thought that Zi You¡¯s dancing skills were certainly not as outstanding as her other talents. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t even dance.

    She was a military family¡¯s descendant, so she probably knew how to wave a sword around and didn¡¯t know something literary like dance. Otherwise, Zi You wouldn¡¯t have performed a sword dance at thest Pce banquet.

    Shen Biqian immediately knelt in front of the Emperor and said breathlessly, ¡°Emperor...... Chennu heard that...... the National Guardian is very talented. Today is the celebration of the army...... returning victorious. Shouldn¡¯t the National Guardian...... perform a dance too?¡±

    Shen Biqian was petite. Now that she was breathless, she had a different kind of charm.

    The Emperor immediately looked a little lecherously at her and nodded. ¡°En. That¡¯s not a bad suggestion. Let¡¯s see if our National Guardian¡¯s talents are really outstanding. You¡¯er,e perform a dance. You don¡¯t really know how to just wave a sword around, right? Show a softer dance and show off to thesedies!¡±

    The Emperor thought wickedly, ¡®You can¡¯t possibly know how to do everything, right? If you can¡¯t dance, then you¡¯re finally revealing a w. Zhen will feel better and won¡¯t feel that Zhen made a big loss handing a talented and beautiful treasure over to that idiot Shangguan LingRan.¡¯

    Zi You could see what he was thinking. She also noticed that a lot of furens anddies in the pce hall were looking forward to her embarrassing herself so her limelight wouldn¡¯t outshine them.

    So, she gracefully bowed and said, ¡°Yes. Chen will obey the Emperor¡¯s decree. Chen will go prepare.¡±

    ¡°Go, go.¡± The Emperor was in a very good mood. His beloved consort Wu Jieyu¡¯s death didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest effect on him.

    He was really heartless. He was evenparable to her g father Mu YingRui! Zi You sneered to herself. She went out and called Jinling over to make preparations.

    When Zi You came back, everyone froze in amazement again! She was wearing a pure white to bright red gradient dress. The top of the dress was snow-white. It gradually turned pink and then bright red. The skirt and cuffs on the long sleeves were as red as the pot of mandara flower that she gave the Emperor. She was bewitching.

    Her long hair draped over her shoulders with only a bright red ribbon tying it. Her red lips were fiery and her eyes rippled.

    After two pce maids moved a screen over and put down ink and paper, Zi You lightly floated over. Her jade sleeves seemed to be like a dragon emerging from the sea and dipping into the ink. Just as everyone was eximing in shock, Zi You pulled hard. When her ink-stained sleeves were pulled back, she quickly flipped into the air.

    She flipped around twice in the air and waved her long sleeves. Her sleeves hit the paper hard. Her body fluttered. She was using her sleeves to write and paint on the paper! Vigorous and strong writing appeared on the paper. Every word was vigourous like pine and cypress. It didn¡¯t lose out to words written out by hand.

 Chapter 223.3 - Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 223 Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 3/3</h4>

    Then Zi You rotated in the air again. She flicked her sleeves out to paint on the screen. After she rotated a few times, everyone saw a lifelike painting of plum blossoms appear. Her actions were done in one movement, like moving clouds and flowing water. She was like a drunk and captivating Chang¡¯e.

    A lot of people seemed to be drunk too. They looked at Zi You in infatuation and watched her sleeves dance and the ink slowly dry. The painting was elegant and excuded a faint fragrance, like Zi You. She lightly flicked her long sleeves and the contrast among red, ck, and white was strong. Her clothing actually seemed like the rainbow-colored clothing worn by the Eight Immortals. It was part of a beautiful dance.

    When the dance was nearing the end, she held a brush dipped in ink. While she recited, she wrote down the poem. ¡°When the middle of winteres, the flowers are withered. The red plum blossom doesn¡¯t yield and stands tall among the wind and snow.¡± She finished writing just as she finished reciting the poem.

    A plum blossom painting appeared in front of everyone. The ink branches were strong. The vermilion flowers vividly depicted the plum blossoms¡¯ pride.

    The structure of each flower and branches shape was dynamic and fluid. The brushstrokes and ink coborated seamlessly. The lines were rigid, but soft and fluid. The ink was used exquisitely and cleverly, while theposition was vibrant. The painting was passionate and vivid. The spirit and essence of the ink painting fused brilliantly with the dance.

    The poem was also graceful and elegant. The use of the ink was exquisite. The writing was charming and natural, but also very proper.

    The pce hall was silent at first. Finally, Xuanwu Emperor started to p his hands. In an instant, the apuse was thunderous and deafeaning.

    Xuanwu Emperor was so excited that he actually walked to the middle of the pce hall. He stroked his beard and admired the painting left and right. He finally eximed and said, ¡°This...... These plum blossoms look like plum blossoms at first nce, but they actually form the word ¡®Longevity,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Emperor.¡± Zi You calmly replied. She looked at the Empress Dowager and bowed deeply and gratefully. ¡°Chen didn¡¯t prepare a gift for the Empress Dowager. This Plum Blossom Longevity painting is dedicated to the Empress Dowager. Chen wishes Empress Dowager happiness as immense as the East Sea and a life as long as Mount Zhongnan!¡±

    If you take a closer look at the plum blossom painting, you would discover that the branches and flowers were scattered and made up the word ¡°Longevity.¡± The fusion of words being embedded, yet hidden in the painting was something unheard of.

    The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t expect that Zi You actually drew this painting for her. She stood up excitedly and went to the middle of the pce hall with Shangguan LingRan¡¯s help. She looked at it and smiled. She finally pulled Zi You over and said, ¡°Good child. You kept your imperial grandmother in mind.¡±

    She removed a blood jade bracelet from her wrist. She ced it on Zi You¡¯s jade-like wrist. ¡°En. It looks good.¡±

    Zi You looked at the blood jade bracelet. It was bright red, as if there was blood flowing in the jade. She knew it wasn¡¯t ordinary. It must have been worn for a long time for it to look like this. It was extremely valuable, so how could Zi You dare to ept it?

    She quickly refused, ¡°Empress Dowager, this is too valuable. Chen can¡¯t take something you¡¯re fond of.¡±

    Yi He (Shangguan LingRan) immediately scolded Zi You lovingly. ¡°Fool! Imperial grandmother dotes on me the most. Of course her good things will be given to my wife. Wife, take it. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s face turned red. She red fiercely at Yi He.

    Yi He shuddered. He shouted injustice in his heart. Little martial aunt, it¡¯s not my fault!

 Chapter 223.1 - Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 223 Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 1/3</h4>

    Moreover, since Mu Zi You revealed her identity, she had been guiding the Emperor to go on the road that she had paved. Shepletely controlled the decisions that he made.

    Even Mu Zi You and Shangguan LingRan¡¯s engagement made the Empress feel like she was being deceived. Was Shangguan LingRan really a dandy? She had always been suspicious, but she couldn¡¯t find any evidence.

    She was deeply uneasy, so she quietly whispered in the Emperor¡¯s ear, ¡°Emperor, did you forget that Shangguan LingRan has two moles on his forehead? What will we do if he obtains Mu Zi You¡¯s help in the future?¡±

    Of course Zi You could hear what she said. So, Zi You looked deeply at the Empress and said calmly to the uncertain Xuanwu Emperor, ¡°Emperor, the Indian God Realm attaches the most importance to vows. Please don¡¯t worry! Chen vows that Chen and Chen¡¯s grandfather and uncle will always be loyal to the Emperor and never do anything treasonous. Otherwise, we will end up like this sword.¡±

    Zi You waved. A guard¡¯s sword flew into her hands. She gently snapped it and it instantly broke into two.

    ¡°Good. Good! Zhen knows that Old General Mu, Young General Mu, and the National Guardian are loyal to Zhen. Someone,e. Reward Mu Junyuan, Mu YingYi, and Mu Zi You white jade ruyis, 1,000 gold taels, and 10,000 sivers. Reward Mu Zi You a box of......¡± Xuanwu Emperor was overjoyed and rewarded a bunch of gold and silvers. All of the soldiers and female medical team members were rewarded. The female medical team members were promoted to seventh-rank female officials.

    However, he didn¡¯t know that Zi You was ying a word game. She swore allegiance to the Emperor. But if the current Emperor wasn¡¯t the Emperor anymore, then they didn¡¯t have to be loyal of course.

    The Empress¡¯ liver hurt from anger. She winked at the previously favored Yu Meiren and signaled her to cause some trouble.

    But Yu Meiren thought about how Wu Jieyu hadpeted for favor with her since she had arrived. So, she acted like she didn¡¯t see the Empress¡¯ gaze and ignored her.

    The Empress was very angry. She didn¡¯t have anyone else to use, so she could only do it herself. She said, ¡°Emperor, Old General Mu returned in triumph. Shouldn¡¯t we get all thedies to perform songs and dances in celebration?¡±

    The Emperor didn¡¯t know this was a scheme, so he nodded. ¡°All thedies who can sing and dancee out to perform.¡±

    All of thedies immediately stepped out to perform songs and dances. Usually at this time, it was when thedies showed off their talents for their future marriage prospects.

    Shen Biqian was originally Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s studypanion and she had suffered Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s humiliations. She was very happy when Shangguan Lingluo was demoted to amoner from Zi You¡¯s scheme and was finally killed by Taizi.

    But because she was Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s studypanion, a tragedy also befell her. She was a Shu daughter, so all of her glory was given to her by Shangguan Lingluo.

    So after Shangguan Lingluo died, she wasn¡¯t bullied anymore. However, problems soon came. Everyone was respectful and tried to curry favor with her because she had been Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s studypanion before, but now they looked at her full of contempt like they were looking at Shangguan Lingluo herself.

    She fell into another circle. Her Di sisters, Di mother, yiniangs, and Shu sisters all started to bully her.

    So, she had begun to hate Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s death. She even hated Zi You and Third Wangzi who had caused Shangguan Lingluo to be amoner and banished to the Cold Pce.

 Chapter 223.2 - Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 223 Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 2/3</h4>

    Shen Biqian and Zi You were the same age. They were both fifteen. It should be time for her to get engaged, but she wasn¡¯t good enough for a good match and too proud to settle for a bad one. Even Wei Mingrui of the Four Tyrants didn¡¯t want her.

    So, she was jealous of and hated Zi You. After she performed her Long Silk Dance, she immediately remembered Zi You and Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s contest from that time.

    She recalled that Zi You had given up the dancepetition and instantly thought that Zi You¡¯s dancing skills were certainly not as outstanding as her other talents. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t even dance.

    She was a military family¡¯s descendant, so she probably knew how to wave a sword around and didn¡¯t know something literary like dance. Otherwise, Zi You wouldn¡¯t have performed a sword dance at thest Pce banquet.

    Shen Biqian immediately knelt in front of the Emperor and said breathlessly, ¡°Emperor...... Chennu heard that...... the National Guardian is very talented. Today is the celebration of the army...... returning victorious. Shouldn¡¯t the National Guardian...... perform a dance too?¡±

    Shen Biqian was petite. Now that she was breathless, she had a different kind of charm.

    The Emperor immediately looked a little lecherously at her and nodded. ¡°En. That¡¯s not a bad suggestion. Let¡¯s see if our National Guardian¡¯s talents are really outstanding. You¡¯er,e perform a dance. You don¡¯t really know how to just wave a sword around, right? Show a softer dance and show off to thesedies!¡±

    The Emperor thought wickedly, ¡®You can¡¯t possibly know how to do everything, right? If you can¡¯t dance, then you¡¯re finally revealing a w. Zhen will feel better and won¡¯t feel that Zhen made a big loss handing a talented and beautiful treasure over to that idiot Shangguan LingRan.¡¯

    Zi You could see what he was thinking. She also noticed that a lot of furens anddies in the pce hall were looking forward to her embarrassing herself so her limelight wouldn¡¯t outshine them.

    So, she gracefully bowed and said, ¡°Yes. Chen will obey the Emperor¡¯s decree. Chen will go prepare.¡±

    ¡°Go, go.¡± The Emperor was in a very good mood. His beloved consort Wu Jieyu¡¯s death didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest effect on him.

    He was really heartless. He was evenparable to her g father Mu YingRui! Zi You sneered to herself. She went out and called Jinling over to make preparations.

    When Zi You came back, everyone froze in amazement again! She was wearing a pure white to bright red gradient dress. The top of the dress was snow-white. It gradually turned pink and then bright red. The skirt and cuffs on the long sleeves were as red as the pot of mandara flower that she gave the Emperor. She was bewitching.

    Her long hair draped over her shoulders with only a bright red ribbon tying it. Her red lips were fiery and her eyes rippled.

    After two pce maids moved a screen over and put down ink and paper, Zi You lightly floated over. Her jade sleeves seemed to be like a dragon emerging from the sea and dipping into the ink. Just as everyone was eximing in shock, Zi You pulled hard. When her ink-stained sleeves were pulled back, she quickly flipped into the air.

    She flipped around twice in the air and waved her long sleeves. Her sleeves hit the paper hard. Her body fluttered. She was using her sleeves to write and paint on the paper! Vigorous and strong writing appeared on the paper. Every word was vigourous like pine and cypress. It didn¡¯t lose out to words written out by hand.

 Chapter 223.3 - Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 223 Magnificent Dance Surpasses the Ancients and Dazzles Everyone Part 3/3</h4>

    Then Zi You rotated in the air again. She flicked her sleeves out to paint on the screen. After she rotated a few times, everyone saw a lifelike painting of plum blossoms appear. Her actions were done in one movement, like moving clouds and flowing water. She was like a drunk and captivating Chang¡¯e.

    A lot of people seemed to be drunk too. They looked at Zi You in infatuation and watched her sleeves dance and the ink slowly dry. The painting was elegant and excuded a faint fragrance, like Zi You. She lightly flicked her long sleeves and the contrast among red, ck, and white was strong. Her clothing actually seemed like the rainbow-colored clothing worn by the Eight Immortals. It was part of a beautiful dance.

    When the dance was nearing the end, she held a brush dipped in ink. While she recited, she wrote down the poem. ¡°When the middle of winteres, the flowers are withered. The red plum blossom doesn¡¯t yield and stands tall among the wind and snow.¡± She finished writing just as she finished reciting the poem.

    A plum blossom painting appeared in front of everyone. The ink branches were strong. The vermilion flowers vividly depicted the plum blossoms¡¯ pride.

    The structure of each flower and branches shape was dynamic and fluid. The brushstrokes and ink coborated seamlessly. The lines were rigid, but soft and fluid. The ink was used exquisitely and cleverly, while theposition was vibrant. The painting was passionate and vivid. The spirit and essence of the ink painting fused brilliantly with the dance.

    The poem was also graceful and elegant. The use of the ink was exquisite. The writing was charming and natural, but also very proper.

    The pce hall was silent at first. Finally, Xuanwu Emperor started to p his hands. In an instant, the apuse was thunderous and deafeaning.

    Xuanwu Emperor was so excited that he actually walked to the middle of the pce hall. He stroked his beard and admired the painting left and right. He finally eximed and said, ¡°This...... These plum blossoms look like plum blossoms at first nce, but they actually form the word ¡®Longevity,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Emperor.¡± Zi You calmly replied. She looked at the Empress Dowager and bowed deeply and gratefully. ¡°Chen didn¡¯t prepare a gift for the Empress Dowager. This Plum Blossom Longevity painting is dedicated to the Empress Dowager. Chen wishes Empress Dowager happiness as immense as the East Sea and a life as long as Mount Zhongnan!¡±

    If you take a closer look at the plum blossom painting, you would discover that the branches and flowers were scattered and made up the word ¡°Longevity.¡± The fusion of words being embedded, yet hidden in the painting was something unheard of.

    The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t expect that Zi You actually drew this painting for her. She stood up excitedly and went to the middle of the pce hall with Shangguan LingRan¡¯s help. She looked at it and smiled. She finally pulled Zi You over and said, ¡°Good child. You kept your imperial grandmother in mind.¡±

    She removed a blood jade bracelet from her wrist. She ced it on Zi You¡¯s jade-like wrist. ¡°En. It looks good.¡±

    Zi You looked at the blood jade bracelet. It was bright red, as if there was blood flowing in the jade. She knew it wasn¡¯t ordinary. It must have been worn for a long time for it to look like this. It was extremely valuable, so how could Zi You dare to ept it?

    She quickly refused, ¡°Empress Dowager, this is too valuable. Chen can¡¯t take something you¡¯re fond of.¡±

    Yi He (Shangguan LingRan) immediately scolded Zi You lovingly. ¡°Fool! Imperial grandmother dotes on me the most. Of course her good things will be given to my wife. Wife, take it. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡±

    Zi You¡¯s face turned red. She red fiercely at Yi He.

    Yi He shuddered. He shouted injustice in his heart. Little martial aunt, it¡¯s not my fault!

 Chapter 224 - Intelligence, Unshakeable Ability, and Spiritual Power VS Hongmen Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 224 Intelligence, Unshakeable Ability, and Spiritual Power VS Hongmen Banquet</h4>

    That¡¯s what little Shishu told me to say. I really didn¡¯t want to say it. It¡¯s true. I¡¯ll be too embarrassed to say such neauseating words out loud.

    Laughter sounded in the pce hall. Everyone was used to Shangguan LingRan behaving unscrupulously. His words were very much in line with his personality.

    After theughter, most people felt pity for Zi You. But there were some people who took joy in her misfortune and some people were jealous of and hated Zi You.

    For example, Taizi, Third Wangzi, and the Emperor¡¯s eyes were like a poisonous snakes¡¯ as they looked at Yi He (Shangguan LingRan). They hated that they couldn¡¯t rush over and devour Shangguan LingRan.

    Wang Yiping looked contemptuous. She was thinking, ¡®Haha...... I was wondering what kind of excellent man you¡¯ll find. So, he¡¯s a dandy and an idiot. And you want some ¡°one person for one lifetime.¡± You¡¯ll probably have to call those prostitutes ¡°sister¡± from now on.¡¯

    Yu daren was the most depressed right now! One of his most outstanding daughters was reprimanded by the Emperor because of Shangguan Lingluo¡¯s matter. She was now seventeen years old, but no one proposed marriage yet. Even those poor schrs didn¡¯t want her.

    Now, this younger daughter whom he pinned high hopes on was even more miserable. He was afraid that even if she married into Duke Yongnan fu, she wouldn¡¯t end up well. She would be a disdained master.

    Not to mention, Zhao HongXiang was already demoted to be amoner. Not only was it impossible for a son-inw like this to help him in the future, but he might even implicate him.

    So, right now, he could only harden his heart and sever his and Lanxuan¡¯s father-daughter rtionship. A daughter was a pawn used to further his own interests. Once she lost this ability, she was useless. You couldn¡¯t me him being ruthless. You could only me her for her presposterous actions!

    The Empress looked at Zi You and Shangguan LingRan flirting like a couple. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t help but re fiercely at Taizi.

    She scolded her son fiercely in her heart. Idiot! I told you to take care of Shangguan LingRan earlier. But you said that he¡¯s not a threat. Now, look. It¡¯s a big problem if he marries Mu Zi You! I, She Fengrong, has been shrewd my whole life. How can I give birth to such a fool?!

    The Empress looked at her son and then at the Emperor. She was even angrier. This stupid man only knows how to be in a woman¡¯s arms all day long and make merry. He just thinks about his imperial power without having any strategies at all.

    Mu Zi You is so powerful now. Aren¡¯t you worried?

    She saw that the Emperor and Taizi weren¡¯t nning on doing anything to Zi You. Forget it. She couldn¡¯t count on these two darned men! She had to do it herself and find a way to get rid of the big problem Mu Zi You.

    Actually, this celebration banquet was originally a Hongmen Banquet.*** The Emperor was going to be instigated by the Empress and We Jieyu regardless of Taizi¡¯s opposition to make trouble for Mu Zi You, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi.

    [Hongmen Banquet = a banquet set up with the intentions of murdering a guest; from a historical event in 206 BC when future Emperor Liu Bang escaped a murder attempt by Xiang Yu]

    Sixty experts were hidden on both sides of the hall and were ready to rush in at any time to assassinate Mu Zi You, Old General Mu, and Mu YingYi. But the Emperor hadpletely forgotten about this matter. He didn¡¯t want to target Mu Zi You and the others anymore.

    The Empress thought about the sign that they had agreed on. The sign was a cup breaking. So, she took advantage when the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were admiring the plum blossom painting to throw a cup to the floor.

    The sixty experts heard the cupnding on the floor and waited for their leader to give orders.

    But the leader was in a difficult spot as he scratched his head. What was going on? What did the Emperor mean? Didn¡¯t they agree that the Emperor would throw a cup? The cup fell, but it was the Empress who threw it. So, should they still rush in or not?

    The leader didn¡¯t give the order. The Emperor heard the sound of the cup breaking and sobered. That¡¯s right. There were sixty experts on both sides of the pce hall to kill Mu Junyuan, his son, and Mu Zi You.

    However, the Emperor had changed his mind. He didn¡¯t want to kill them now. Why didn¡¯t this darned Empress listen to him and threw the cup of her own ord?

    The Emperor red fiercely at the Empress. He called Eunuch Yu over and whispered to him.

    Eunuch Yu quickly trotted over to stop those experts.

    A sharp light shed in Zi You¡¯s eyes. She and Shangguan LingRan already knew that there were assassins waiting to ambush them on both sides of the pce hall.

    However, they didn¡¯t put them in their eyes. Let¡¯s not mention sixty experts. They wouldn¡¯t be bothered even if it was 600 or 6,000 experts.

    So, they chatted andughed and didn¡¯t take those people seriously. If Xuanwu Emperor smartened up and didn¡¯t do anything stupid, he could live another day or two. But if he wanted to die today, they would fulfill his wish.

    It seemed that Xuanwu Emperor had changed his mind. Let him live a few more days then.

    In the pce hall, cups clinked andughter sounded, which concealed all the schemes.

    Even when the people there talked about Zhao HongXiang, Yu Lanxuan, and Wu Jieyu, it was like they were talking about clowns.

    In the desperate battle, Zi You and Shangguan LingRan used their intelligence and spiritual powers to shock everyone and win.

    After the banquet ended, Mu YingRui went to look for Zi You in the General¡¯s Manor. He asked incredulously, ¡°You¡¯er, tell me the truth. Is your mother really a goddess?¡±

    Zi You looked mockingly at him and sneered. ¡°Do you want mother toe over and p you a few more times?¡±

    Mu YingRui¡¯s face instantly turned red like a monkey¡¯s butt. After a while, he asked softly, ¡°Is your stepmother¡¯s child really a deformed fetus?¡±

    Zi You sneered again. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, wait until she gives birth. You¡¯ll understand everything then.¡±

    ¡°But...... But how did it happen?¡± Mu YingRui wanted a son. He wanted one until he was about to go crazy. But why didn¡¯t things go ording to his wishes?

    This time, Zi You¡¯s attitude was very good. She patiently answered him. But her words were like a dagger stabbing in his heart and being pulled out. Every stab was dripping with blood. ¡°She was supposed to be pregnant with twins, but the child became deformed.¡±

    ¡°Why is it deformed?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one reason. The child is the offspring of rtives. The offspring of siblings or cousins will cause deformities. If I¡¯m not wrong, this child isn¡¯t yours, father. It¡¯s her half-brother¡¯s.¡±

    Because of Zi You¡¯s words, Mu YingRui¡¯s face changed from ashen to green and finally purple.

    Zi You could hear the sounds of his teeth gnashing. Sure enough, Mu YingRui said, ¡°That slut! I want to get rid of that b*stard! I¡¯m going to kill them!¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zi You said slowly, ¡°She won¡¯t be reconciled if you get rid of the child now. You know better than me how cunning Nee Wang is. You should wait until you have evidence of her affair with her brother. It won¡¯t be toote for you to make a move then. But don¡¯t wait too long, father.¡±

    Indeed, he didn¡¯t need to wait for long. The next day, while Zi You was treating patients in the free medical clinic, Weishali reported, ¡°Master, Nee Wang returned to her maiden family.¡±

    Zi You slightly sneered. It seemed that Wang Yiping couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She had heard what Zi You saidst night. Although she wasn¡¯t very convinced, she still had doubts. That was why she went to find Wang Shengmin and her yiniang mother.

    Zi You slowly instructed, ¡°Continue to monitor.¡±

    Then she got up and went into her changing room. She disguised herself as female medical team member Huayun and said to Muling, ¡°See patients for me. I¡¯m going out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Muling replied. They quickly exchanged ces.

    Soon, Zi You, disguised as Huayun, got into a horse carriage and galloped towards the General¡¯s Manor.

    No one noticed any of this. The free medical clinic was full of patients. The fact that Zi You was the descendant of a goddess had soon spread throughout all of the capital.

    The people who wanted to see a doctor almost reached the Pce when they lined up. It could only be described as a vast sea of people.

    The city¡¯s general had no other choice but to dispatch soldiers here to maintain order.

    They heard that Zi You would only see ten patients per day. A lot of official and noble households sent her invitation cards and were willing to pay more if she would visit them.

    Zi You warned the servants in the fu, ¡°Hand all the invitation cards to me. You¡¯re not allowed to privately ept any money. If I find out, you will be flogged to death!¡±

    The servants didn¡¯t have that courage, but Mu YingRui dared to. He used the excuse that his father was ill, so he stayed at home.

    He looked at all the invitation cards and money sent to invite Zi You and didn¡¯t care about his wife making him a cuckold anymore. He epted everything and patted his chest to make a guarantee. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell You¡¯er to go over to your fu.¡±

    Soon, he epted more than 10,000 silvers. Just as he was being happy, Zi You returned.

    Zi You heard the doorman say, ¡°The servants wanted to return the invitation cards and money, but First Laoye refused and epted all the invitation cards and money.¡±

    Zi You waved to Shiyun and Rong Yunhe. ¡°Return all the invitation cards and money and apologize to everyone.¡±

    Then she went to Mu YingRui¡¯s study. She looked at his greedy eyes and him counting money and pped her hand down on a table angrily. She shouted, ¡°Father, you¡¯ve gone too far! How dare you ept this money? Rong Yunhe, Shiyun, take all the invitation cards and money away.¡±

    Rong Yunhe and Shiyun went over to take the money. Mu YingRui¡¯s hands wrapped around it and didn¡¯t let them take it. Even his body was syed over the table. ¡°Are you stupid, You¡¯er? If you don¡¯t ept this money, then aren¡¯t you working for nothing? You have to treat them sooner orter anyway. If you ask me, why go to the whatever free medical clinic? Why do you bother with those poor people?¡±

    Even Shiyun looked contemptuous at his greedy appearance.

    Zi You was toozy to talk to him. She had Shiyun and Rong Yunhe take the invitation cards and money away. Then she said to Mu YingRui, ¡°You still have the heart to think about money? Your wife went to her maiden family to have a tryst with her brother. You¡¯re still not going to take a look?¡±

 Chapter 225.1 - Catching Adulterers in the Act, Finding Out the Truth About Everything

    <h4>Chapter 225 Catching Adulterers in the Act, Finding Out the Truth About Everything Part 1/3</h4>

    Mu YingRui grew anxious. He didn¡¯t care about the money that Shiyun took away anymore. He immediately hurried outside. ¡°I want to see if they really dare...... I¡¯m going to kill them!¡±

    Zi You followed him and got on the horse carriage with him towards Duke Yingguo fu. No, it was the Wang fu now. But let¡¯s be clear, it¡¯s the ¡°Wang¡± for Nee Wang and not the ¡°Wang¡± in ¡°Wangye.¡±

    At Wang fu, the guards in front of the door didn¡¯t know that their Eighth Xiaojie and Fifth Shaoye were having a tryst. They saw Mu Xiaojie and Mu YingRui here and didn¡¯t stop them. They said they were looking for Wang Yiping, their mother and wife, so they didn¡¯t stop them and let them inside.

    Zi You already knew from Weishali that Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin were talking about the baby.

    So, she instantly took Mu YingRui to Bai Yiniang¡¯s courtyard. However, they didn¡¯t go through the main entrance, but a side door instead.

    The elderly maidservant guarding the door was Bai Yiniang¡¯s confidant, so of course she wouldn¡¯t let them inside. She wanted to report it to Bai Yiniang. Zi You¡¯s finger tapped her acupuncture point lightning fast and she fainted away.

    Zi You led her g father, avoided the servants, and crept under the window of Bai Yiniang¡¯s bedroom. Zi You punctured the paper window and saw Wang Yiping snuggling in her fifth brother¡¯s arms. She said delicately, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m so scared. I don¡¯t know if that cheap little wench told the truth or not. If it¡¯s true, what are we going to do if our child has deformities?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that little demoness¡¯ nonsense.¡± Wang Shengmin kissed Wang Yiping andforted her. ¡°How can that be possible?! My children with other women are all normal. Why would my child with you be abnormal?¡±

    Wang Yiping felt a little ashamed. ¡°But we¡¯re siblings! Siblings ***...... Is this the heavens punishing us, so we have such a child?¡±

    Hearing her said that, Wang Shengmin asked uncertainly, ¡°Are you sure this baby is mine?¡±

    Wang Yiping froze and resentfully punched Wang Shengmin a few times. She scolded, ¡°How can you ask such a hurtful thing? Of course I¡¯m sure. Because that darned man Mu YingRui constantly married concubines. After Shui YouLian became pregnant, I was scared the other yiniangs would get pregnant too. So I put medicine in his tonic. He can¡¯t have any children anymore......¡±

    ¡°I curse eight generations of your ancestors!¡± Mu YingRui was livid. It was like he was crazy, so how could he continue listening? He quickly ran through the front door. Regardless of Bai Yiniang¡¯s servants stopping him, he charged into the room.

    He grabbed Wang Yiping and started pping her.

    Wang Shengmin rushed over and punched Mu YingRui. This punch coincidentallynded on his left eye. Mu YingRui instantly covered his eye and wailed and shouted. ¡°My eye! The adulterer is silencing people......¡±

    Wang Yiping saw that only Zi You and Mu YingRui were here. She immediately said to Bai Yiniang, ¡°Quickly call people over and kill them so they won¡¯t spread this matter out.¡±

    Mu YingRui heard her malicious voice and looked at her with one eye covered. He was incredulous. Was this his gentle and virtuous wife? It turned out that she was so vicious.

    Bai Yiniang reacted from the panic and immediately ran to bring people over.

    Zi You stood on the side and looked mockingly at her. She didn¡¯t stop her. Bai Yiniang soon led servants over and shouted, ¡°Kill them.¡±

    Zi You gently waved her hand. Bai Yiniang flew out like a broken rag, hit a tree trunk, and fell down.

    Bai Yiniang didn¡¯t even make a sound and fainted.

 Chapter 225.2

    <h4>Chapter 225 Catching Adulterers in the Act, Finding Out the Truth About Everything Part 2/3</h4>

    The dozen servants immediately froze in fear! They looked at Zi You like they were looking at a demon and didn¡¯t dare to go over.

    Zi You pped her hands. Four secret guards instantly appeared. Zi You coldly ordered, ¡°Capture the pair of adulterers.¡±

    At this time, Duke Yingguo, no, it was Wang Youli now, rushed over. He cupped his fists at Mu YingRui and said, ¡°Son-inw, this must be a misunderstanding. Yiping and her fifth brother get along very well since they were young......¡±

    It was fine if he didn¡¯t say this, but once he mentioned Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin, Mu YingRui¡¯s anger surged. He didn¡¯t wait for Wang Youli to finish speaking before he kicked him. He scolded angrily, ¡°Nonsense! This official already knows the truth. You still want to lie to me? You old man! You deceived me so badly. I¡¯m going to kill you......¡±

    He kicked him again. This kick used all of the strength in his body and made Wang Youli take three steps back and fall to the ground.

    Wang Shengmin saw his father being beaten and immediately howled to the servants, ¡°Laoye is getting hit. Why aren¡¯t you going over to help? Ouch......¡±

    Before he finished speaking, two secret guards rushed over. They each punched him once and knocked him down.

    Zi You looked at the servants who wanted to move, but didn¡¯t dare to move. She smiledzily. ¡°We want to catch the adulterers. That has nothing to do with you. Get out of the way for this National Guardian. Otherwise, don¡¯t me this National Guardian for killing someone!¡±

    Her voice wasn¡¯t loud and she had a smile on her face. But for some reason, the servants all saw a terrible murderous aura on this girl¡¯s body. They couldn¡¯t help but shrink in their heads and took a few steps back.

    Zi You waved. She took Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin and swaggered out of the Wang fu. They took the horse carriage back to the General¡¯s Manor.

    Wang Youli endured his pain and shouted to the servants, ¡°Hurry and tell your First Shaoye and Second Shaoye toe back!¡±

    First Shaoye Wang Shengmao and Second Shaoye Wang Shengwei were born to the First Furen Nee Hui. Wang Shengmao was a fourth-rank official in the Imperial Household department. Wang Shengwei was a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites.

    Originally, the First Furen hated Bai Yiniang. She hated Bai Yiniang and her daughter even more when Wang Youli lost the Duke Yingguo title because of them.

    Now, she saw how Wang Yiping and that Shu son Wang Shengmin were caught having an affair and they were taken away by Zi You. She was so happy that she wanted to celebrate.

    Once she heard Laoye mention her sons, she immediately stopped the servants. ¡°No one is allowed to go. Eighth Xiaojie and Fifth Shaoye ruined the reputation of this fu. No one is allowed to bother with them.¡±

    Then she shouted to Wang Youli, ¡°You already lost your Duke title because of that cheap little wench. If you still worry about her, I¡¯ll take my two sons, leave the fu, and divorce you!¡±

    Wang Youli was dumbfounded! He had no official position or a Duke title anymore. If Nee Hui really wanted to divorce him, it wasn¡¯t impossible. His two sons who were officials were born from her.

    Wang Youli thought of this, held his head, and sat on the ground. He didn¡¯t dare to say anything more.

 Chapter 225.3 - Catching Adulterers in the Act, Finding Out the Truth About Everything Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 225.3 Catching Adulterers in the Act, Finding Out the Truth About Everything Part 3/3</h4>

    After Wang Yiping was brought back to the General¡¯s Manor by Mu YingRui, Old General Mu (Shangguan LingRan) and Mu YingYi were soon alerted.

    They went to Mu YingRui¡¯s study. Actually, they both weren¡¯t in the house earlier. After reverting back to his appearance, Shangguan LingRan had gone to his maternal grandfather, Left Prime Minister¡¯s fu.

    Second Wangzi hade to find Zi You and Shangguan LingRanst night and talked to them for a long time before leaving.

    After Second Wangzi found out about Shangguan LingRan and Zi You, he had been sad and disappointed. But he was also excited that they were willing to help him ascend to the throne.

    His mood was veryplicated. He really wanted to obtain Zi You, but he knew that Zi You didn¡¯t have any romantic feelings for him at all. Moreover, he really did want to sit on that throne. He hadpletely different ideals and aspirations from Shangguan LingRan.

    At that moment, his mood was very contradictory. But he knew that even if he gave up that throne, Zi You wouldn¡¯t be his. He could only admit defeat. Compared to Shangguan LingRan daring to break into the Indian God Realm to bring Zi You back, Second Wangzi paled inparison.

    So, Second Wangzi, Shangguan LingRan, Mu YingYi, the old Prime Minister, Imperial Censor Lu, and a dozen civil and military officials were gathered in the Prime Minister¡¯s fu to have a discussion.

    After receiving the news from a guard that Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin were caught having an affair, Shangguan LingRan and Mu YingYi rushed back.

    They went to Mu YingRui¡¯s study and saw Mu YingRui pping Wang Yiping. While he pped her, he scolded, ¡°You poisonous woman! I don¡¯t treat you badly...... For you, I didn¡¯t even pursue it when you caused the death of YouLian¡¯s son. When you hurt You¡¯er, I also close my eyes. But you¡¯re good. You not only made me a cuckold, but you also gave me medicine so that I¡¯m unable to have any more children. And you...... You¡¯re pregnant with your brother¡¯s deformed baby. Why don¡¯t you die? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±

    Mu YingYi grabbed his cor and angrily shouted, ¡°What did you say? This woman caused Hui¡¯er¡¯s death? You clearly know that Hui¡¯er was killed by her, so why did you persecute my wife and children? You¡¯re my big brother! How could you do this to me?¡±

    Mu YingRui struggled hard and tried to push Mu YingYi away. But Mu YingYi was a martial artist and Mu YingRui was a schr, so of course he wasn¡¯t Mu YingYi¡¯s opponent.

    So, he anxiously shouted, ¡°You¡¯er,e help your father. Take this scoundrel who stole everything of mine away!¡±

    ¡°Stole everything of yours?¡± Zi You¡¯s eyes were sharp. She walked over and pulled on Mu YingYi¡¯s hand. She shook her head and smiled. ¡°Father, are you dizzy from being angry at your wife? How can you scold uncle like that?¡±

    ¡°Scold him? Cough, cough......¡± Mu YingRui was choked by Mu YingYi. He coughed a dozen times before it subsided.

    He was only angrier and scolded, ¡°How can I not scold him? Since childhood, how many things has he stolen away from me? Fame, status, property, and you and your mother¡¯s love.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zi You heard what her g father said and went to tap Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin¡¯s acupuncture points. They became temporarily deaf. Then she said coldly and angrily to Mu YingRui, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy to mention my mother. If you weren¡¯t fickle and heartless, my mother wouldn¡¯t have left me. When I left, my mother told me that the only thing she did wrong was that she married you. Fortunately she gave birth to me. Otherwise, she would reallymit suicide out of regret!¡±

 Chapter 229.3 - The Spirit Obtains the Emperorâ€™s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 229 The Spirit Obtains the Emperor¡¯s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 3/3</h4>

    As a result, the Minister of Appointments¡¯ son, Chen Changsheng, had bought a number and came to treat his syphilis.

    Zi You had instantly said to him, ¡°Your disease can¡¯t be cured. I can¡¯t go against the heavens. The heavens want to punish you, so how can I save you?¡±

    She had firmly denied him treatment. He wasn¡¯t only Duke Yongnan furen¡¯s nephew, but he was a true tyrant. He was different from the Four Tyrants in the capital. The Four Tyrants were led by Shangguan LingRan and weren¡¯t really wicked. They were just dissolute and frivolous on the surface.

    They often lingered in brothels, but they were actually Shangguan LingRan¡¯s good friends. They had the same goal, so they had to hide their true natures. And they targeted vicious officials and not themon citizens unlike Chen Changsheng.

    Chen Changsheng had relied on him being on Taizi¡¯s side and ruined a lot of girls. But he still pretended to be a righteous gentleman. He was the same kind of person as his cousin Zhao HongXiang.

    Chen Changsheng was a second-rank guard in the Pce and harmed a lot of people for the Empress and Taizi. Zi You certainly would not treat him.

    Originally, Chen Changsheng had disguised his true nature very well. So, when Zi You refused to treat him, he had shouted. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you treating me? What three ¡®won¡¯t treats?¡¯ I didn¡¯t vite any of those rules. I¡¯m a good person, so why aren¡¯t you treating me?¡±

    Before Zi You could expose his evil deeds, a woman jumped out and scolded, ¡°You animal! You cause my daughter¡¯s death. If you¡¯re a good person, then all the good people in the world are dead!¡±

    There were more than a 1,000 people lining up. They immediately gathered around and asked each other what was going on.

    The woman had cried out, ¡°My family has a small embroidery shop in the vige. My daughter was very pretty. When she went to deliver the embroidered goods to the Minister of Appointments fu, she caught this animal¡¯s eye. He wanted to marry her as his Fifth Yiniang. But not even three months after she married, she miscarried and died. The truth is that my daughter didn¡¯t have a natural miscarriage. It¡¯s this animal and his wife who harmed her. They¡¯re both wicked people!¡±

    Chen Changsheng had quibbled, ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense. You sold your daughter for glory. Your daughter had a short life. What does that have to do with me and my wife? If you keep speaking nonsense, I¡¯ll send you to the yamen.¡±

    Zi You had instantly sneered and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid the Fifth Yiniang who died because of you will seek revenge? Remember. Persisting in evil deeds will bring about your self-destruction.¡±

    Chen Changsheng had cursed and swore as he left. The woman had knelt to Zi You and thanked her for speaking up.

    Originally, this matter would have passed just like this. But three dayster, Chen Changsheng and his wife died. They were supposedly scared to death by ghosts. And his father, Minister of Appointments Chen Yonghao, was censured by the imperial censors for corruption. Xuanwu Emperor had given orders to arrest and imprison him.

    As a result, Zi You¡¯s fame increased. It was said that when someone met a viin, he would immediately say, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid the National Guardian will stand up for justice ande to look for you?¡±

    The Minister of Appointments undoubtedly belonged on the Taizi and the Empress¡¯ side. Zi You would start with him. Then she would start with the other important ministers and pull out all of Taizi and the Empress¡¯ forces.

    Moreover, once he died, Nee Chen wouldn¡¯t have any support anymore. Without Zi You doing anything, Duke Yongnan would certainly deal with Nee Chen.

    Minister Chen didn¡¯t leave a ledger behind. Zi You fabricated a ledger ording to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s knowledge and ced it in fifth-rank Imperial Censor Li Zheng¡¯s study.

    Li Zheng scored second ce inst year¡¯s pce examination. He had a humble background and no foundation in the capital. But he was very honest and trusted by Xuanwu Emperor. It was the most appropriate for him to expose Minister Chen¡¯s crimes.

 Chapter 231.1 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3</h4>

    Who knew who the real master was of such a shrewd servant? Zi You didn¡¯t say anything and just sent a small spirit mouse to monitor her.

    After the midwife and female official came, Wang Yiping was sent back to Yiping Ju, but all of her previous servants were changed. Her three or four confidants were captured by Zi You, and fed the Worriless Pill, and sold by Nee Liu.

    Yueluo was also imprisoned in Hundred Herb Garden and Yang Qingjun died.

    Speaking of which, he was really infatuated. But since he was infatuated with a woman like Wang Yiping, he was doomed to end up in tragedy.

    When Wang Yiping was imprisoned by Zi You in Hundred Herb Garden, he actually wanted to save her and elope with her.

    Zi You had heard it from the spirit mice that someone was trying to break into the array. Zi You had opened the array and let him in.

    So, the adulterer had smoothly met up with Wang Yiping. He saw his lover and hugged her. He cried out, ¡°Ping¡¯er, how did this happen? That cheap little wench Mu Zi You! You¡¯re her stepmother. How dare she do this to you? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m taking you and leaving. I saved some money over the years. It¡¯s enough for us to live the rest of our lives. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t slight you and our child.¡±

    Wang Yiping had told him. ¡°Qingjun, I¡¯m pregnant with our child.¡±

    So, this fool still thought that Wang Yiping¡¯s child was his.

    Wang Yiping saw that it was Yang Qingjun who came to save her. Although she had never loved him and had been constantly using him, at this moment, she was like a drowining person clutching onto a lifesaving straw.

    Even if she didn¡¯t have any strength, she still exhausted all of her energy to move her hands and gasped, ¡°Okay. I...... didn¡¯t choose wrong....... Take me away...... I¡¯m willing...... to be your woman.¡±

    The two of them didn¡¯t expect that Zi You had known about what Yang Qingjun was doing, so she brought Mu YingRui over to watch his most trusted confidant and his beloved wife staging this ¡°love and death¡± y.

    Mu YingRui was so angry that he almost spat out blood. Zi You could even hear Mu YingRui gnashing his teeth. But Zi You was afraid that she hadn¡¯t angered him enough, so she whispered into his ear, ¡°Do you know when they had an affair? It was when you and Liu Yanhong were discussing how to frame me. Do you think this is retribution?¡±

    Mu YingRui looked incredulously at Zi You. He saw intense hatred in her cold eyes. He was not only shocked, but he was angry as he asked, ¡°I¡¯m your father! How can you do this to me?¡±

    ¡°Father?¡± Zi You constantly sneered. ¡°You also remember that you¡¯re my father. When your little wife was going to poison me, did you ever think that you¡¯re my father? When you and your little wife conspired to scheme against and punish me, did you ever think that you¡¯re my father?

    ¡°Other people¡¯s fathers dote and pamper their daughters and shield their daughters from the wind and rain. Let me ask you. What have you done for me? Let me tell you. Other than you harming me, it¡¯s still you still harming me!

    ¡°I¡¯m human too. I also have feelings. When you harmed me again and again, have you ever thought about whether I can bear it? When you look at these two people, it hurts, right? But have you ever thought about how much pain I would be in when you hurt me again and again?¡±

    Zi You finally roared. Yes...... How could it not hurt? This was the father who gave her life. His blood flowed in her body. He was a close rtive of hers, but......

 Chapter 226.3

    <h4>Chapter 226<strong> Denouncing Her g Father, g Father and the Malicious Woman Bite Each Other Part 3/3</strong></h4>

    But after she left, Mu YingYi immediately sent a punch over at Shangguan LingRan. ¡°Kid, are you addicted to pretending to be my father? You even dared to lecture your aunt!¡±

    Shangguan LingRan moved like a rabbit, so Mu YingYi ended up punching air. He dodged and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m innocent! You¡¯er was distressed over you, so she wanted me to vent out your anger. Uncle, did you forget the grievances you suffered?¡±

    Mu YingYi thought about it and paused. He looked at Zi You and went over to her. He held her hand and said guiltily, ¡°Thank you, You¡¯er. I know you feel bad for me, but I was wrong in this matter too. I was wrong from the very beginning.¡±

    Zi You sighed and nodded. ¡°Yes, you couldn¡¯t hide it and you caused the misfortune of three people. Uncle, since you have decided on it, then don¡¯t regret it. You¡¯ve already hurt one person. Don¡¯t hurt another person. Treat aunt well and forget about my mother.¡±

    ¡°You know about it......¡± Mu YingYi¡¯s face turned red. He smiled bitterly. Forget? That was easier said than done. If he could have done it, he would have long chosen to forget it. But that figure seemed to have branded his heart. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to forget her in his entire life!

    Zi You saw the bitterness in his eyes and knew her uncle would never put down his feelings for her mother. She thought of the loneliness in her mother¡¯s eyes. Her heart hurt. She then changed the topic. ¡°Uncle, Yueluo can¡¯t stay here anymore. She dared to collude with Wang Yiping and drug you. And her child is certainly not yours, so......¡±

    ¡°You can deal with that woman.¡± Mu YingYi interrupted Zi You with sharp eyes. ¡°Whether she listened to Nee Wang¡¯s instigation or not and whether she is pregnant with my child or not, I don¡¯t want to see her again.¡±

    Zi You nodded. She wouldn¡¯t let go of anyone who dared to cause chaos in the General¡¯s Manor.

    Yueluo was soon brought over to Zi You. She had a protruding stomach and seemed to be more than six months pregnant. It was no wonder that Nee Liu was furious.

    Zi You satzily in a chair and looked at her. She slowly sipped tea and didn¡¯t speak.

    Yueluo curtsied and then provocatively sat down in a chair. She smiled and said, ¡°Xiaojie, Nubi can¡¯t stand. This child is very energetic. He constantly rolls around in Nubi¡¯s stomach. It¡¯s really a little unbearable.¡±

    Yueluo really didn¡¯t put Zi You in her eyes. Even though Zi You¡¯s pool-like eyes made her heart cold, she wasn¡¯t afraid of anything once she thought about the child in her stomach.

    With this child, no one could do anything to her no matter what. Besides, as soon as the child was born, she would certainly be named Second Yiniang.

    Second Laoye was kind, so it was impossible for him to do anything to his child. So, even if Xiaojie was powerful, what could she do to her?

 Chapter 231.3 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 3/3</h4>

    Yang Wingjun was thirty-four years old this year. He had been with Mu YingRui for twelve years, but he didn¡¯t have a wife.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to start a family, but Mu YingRui didn¡¯t let him get married. ¡°You can¡¯t start a family or have children. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have other concerns and won¡¯t be able to wholeheartedly protect me and work for me.¡±

    He was thirty-four years old, but he didn¡¯t even have a son. There were three filial impieties and not having a descendant was the worse. How was he going to meet his parents in the underworld? So, when he had been with Wang Yiping, he had changed from like, carnal desire, ***, and then finally love.

    But now, the woman he loved told him that she treated him only like a tool she used. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous!

    For a period of time, he had pitied Mu YingRui for having good looks, power, and status, but he didn¡¯t have what a guard like him had. He didn¡¯t expect that he and Mu YingRui ended up in the same situation.

    He betrayed his master today. Even if Mu YingRui didn¡¯t kill him, Old General Mu and Zi You wouldn¡¯t let him off.

    Theughable thing was that he thought he had broken into Hundred Herb Garden, but someone actually let him in. The purpose was to let him see Wang Yiping¡¯s true nature.

    He saw it clearly and his heart was dead now! Yang Qingjun raised his palm and pressed it over his head. He used up all of his strength and mmed down.

    A ¡°bang¡± sounded and red and white brain matter sprayed all over Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui

    They screamed in fear, but Yang Qingjun had already copsed. His head was shattered. His eyes were wide open and he died with grievances!

    Mu YingRui was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. He covered his head and ran out regardless of everything. He spun around like a housefly as he ran out of Hundred Herb Garden.

    Zi You¡¯s words kept echoing in his ears. ¡°You are destined to be utterly isted by everyone. You are destined to be isted by everyone......¡±

    As such, Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t attend Zi You¡¯s wedding. On December 21, three days before Zi You¡¯s wedding, he was dismissed from his post for courruption and bribery of higher-ranked officials. He was sentenced to exile in Nanjiang and was never allowed to return to the capital again.

    The sad thing was that from his imprisonment to his exile, only Shui Yiniang came to see him out of all of his concubines. She didn¡¯t go to express her heartfelt feelings, but she went there to scold and hit him. ¡°You b*stard! You¡¯re not even as good as an animal! Hui¡¯er was your son. Your son! How could you do it? Ah! You¡¯ll die a horrible death. I curse you to die a horrible death!¡±

    Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang had children. Zi You gave them each 2,000 silvers. She told them, ¡°Father is like this right now. If you¡¯re willing to follow him in exile, I won¡¯t stop you. If you¡¯re not willing, take this money. Oh, you can also take the things in your rooms. Go seek out a new life. Remember! Don¡¯t be someone else¡¯s concubine. Find a man who will treat you wholeheartedly and raise your children well.¡±

    The two happily packed up their things and left. The furnishings in their rooms, the money they had saved over the years, and the money Xiaojie gave to them were enough for them to live a good life.

    After Third Yiniang received the money, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all and discussed with Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang about opening an embroidery shop together.

    But Shui YouLian insisted on staying. ¡°Xiaojie, my life is yours. It¡¯s better without Laoye now. Let me be your servant. Please don¡¯t drive me away......¡±

 Chapter 232.1 - The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 232 The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 1/3</h4>

    Zi You had no choice. She could only let Shui YouLian stay. She changed her name and sent her to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s embroidery vige as a supervisor.

    After Mu YingRui was exiled to Nanjiang, he was really regretful. He frequently looked in the direction of India. He remembered when he and Dier were married, when Dier left, and everything that he did to Zi You. He was tormented by remorse and couldn¡¯t sleep at night.

    Plus, he did physicalbor in mines. His body soon copsed and he died two yearster. He was only thirty-six years old.

    Old General Mu was there before he died. Mu YingRui had repented in front of him. ¡°Father, your son isn¡¯t filial. I¡¯ve let you down! I¡¯ve let Dier and You¡¯er down! I will atone for my sons with death......¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s tiger eyes shed tears. He sent Mu YingRui to be buried next to his deceased wife. Of course, this was another story.

    Let¡¯s talk about Wang Yiping now. Her giving birth to a two-headed monster baby confirmed Zi You¡¯s statement about her child.

    Ever since then, Xuanwu Emperorpletely believed in Zi You¡¯s ability. While he was on guard against her, he still tried to desperately win her over and rewarded her. He also ordered the Dali Court, ¡°Investigate the case of Duke Yingguo fu practicing deception in the engagement. Once verified, all the perpetrators will be severely punished!¡±

    Then he gave orders to burn the still- living conjoined twins alive.

    Duke Yingguo furen and her two Di sons saw that things were bad and held a discussion. Duke Yingguo furen immediately brought up the topic of divorce. ¡°Old b*stard! You¡¯ve treated me badly your whole life. You drink and make merry all the time, neglect me, spoil the concubines, and don¡¯t treat me like a human.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re going to be punished. I¡¯m not a fool. Why would I suffer with you? My sons don¡¯t want to be implicated by you either. Sign the divorce papers. I want a divorce.¡±

    Would Duke Yingguo agree to a divorce? None of his Shu sons and daughters had any sesses. Other than his two Di sons being officials, the rest were ipetent. Otherwise, why would Duke Yingguo fu decline?

    The money in the fu had been firmly controlled by his eldest daughter-inw. If his wife really left him, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to eat.

    But it wasn¡¯t up to him whether he was going to sign the divorce papers or not. His two Di sons grabbed him. One grabbed his finger and pressed his fingerprint down on the divorce papers.

    Then the two grabbed Duke Yingguo and threw him out of the fu. They also shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te here again in the future. Otherwise, we¡¯ll beat you up every time we see you.¡±

    The unfortunate Duke Yingguo was kicked out the house likes this. But not only were people not sympathetic to him being kicked out of his own house by his sons, but everyone shouted and beat him like a mouse crossing the street.

    Why was that? It was because Wang Yiping, Wang Shengmin, and Bai Yiniang, confessed to the Dali Court about every conspiracy. Although Duke Yingguo wasn¡¯t the mastermind, everything stemmed from Duke Yingguo¡¯s obscenity and immorality.

 Chapter 232.2 - The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 232 The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 2/3</h4>

    Wang Shengmin exined: ¡°I like the **** excitement because when I was eleven, my second sister returned to her maiden family. My father had hugged her and shouted, ¡®My darling, your father missed you to death.¡¯ I thought my father was like that because he liked her. Who knew......

    ¡°Who knew my father would take off her clothing behind a rockery and tangle with her? At the time, I was still young so I asked my father and second sister what they were doing. My father took off my pants and pulled out my ¡®little bird¡¯ and asked me if I feltfortable.

    ¡°I said yes and my father pointed to my second sister and said, ¡®Do what I just did and you¡¯ll be morefortable.¡¯ That day, I experienced a taste that I had never experienced before. From then on, I started to look for women, but none was as exciting as my second sister.

    ¡°Later, my second sister didn¡¯te back very often, so I turned my attention to fifth sister and eighth sister. Bai Yiniang found out about me and my eighth sister and threatened me. Then I tangled with Bai Yiniang too.¡±

    Heavens! The Dali Court Justice was thunderstruck when he heard Wang Shengmin¡¯s confession. He was shocked into a mess.

    After he heard Bai Yiniang¡¯s confession, he scolded the family even more for being obscene and immoral.

    Bai Yiniang said, ¡°Laoye is different in that aspect. He likes stimtion. I wanted to gain his favor, so I had choice but to give my eldest daughter to him. She wanted to avoid him, so she could only seduce the Assistant Minister of Revenue at the time, Yu daren. Yu daren was drunk that day, so my eldest daughter pretended to be a maidservant and seduced him.

    ¡°Later, Laoye wanted my youngest daughter <strong>[Wang Yiping]</strong>, but my youngest daughter was already entangled with her fifth brother and despised her father. She had no choice but to use her sister¡¯s method and climbed onto First Mu Laoye¡¯s <strong>[Mu YingRui¡¯s]</strong> bed. That¡¯s what happened. I had no other choice. I was afraid of losing Laoye¡¯s favor and losing a way to survive in Duke Yingguo fu.¡±

    Finally, it was Wang Yiping¡¯s confession: ¡°I¡¯m also forced. I don¡¯t want to be like this, but what could I have done? My biological mother was an actress. She taught me how to seduce me, how topete for favor, how to scheme against people, and how to harm people since I was young.

    ¡°My Di mother is vicious and treated the yiniangs and Shu children harshly and ruthlessly. If we didn¡¯t have a n, we would be swallowed without leaving anything behind. That animal Wang Shengmin *** me. I told my yiniang. My yiniang not only didn¡¯t care, but she ckmailed him to have an affair with her.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t deceive Mu YingRui and became his wife, do you want me to end up like my fourth sister? Fourth sister didn¡¯t die from illness. She was forced tomit suicide by my father......¡±

    Finally, thest witness Liu Yanhong was sent to the Dali Court Justice by Zi You. She proved that Wang Yiping, Wang Shengmin, and Bai Yiniang were adulterers.

    The Dali Court Justice was shocked! He didn¡¯t understand how Wang Yiping and Darong Ka were tangled together.

    Darong Ka was rmended by Taizi to the Emperor. He was on Taizi¡¯s side. But why did someone on Taizi¡¯s side get involved with Wang Yiping?

    The Dali Court Justice looked up in fear at Zi You. He didn¡¯t want to join any Wangzi¡¯s camp. He was a neutral faction. He would be loyal to whoever became the Emperor in the future.

    But now, he discovered such a secret. What should he do? Taizi was secretly trying to win over a minister! Or why else would Darong Ka treat Wang Yiping¡¯s leg?

 Chapter 232.3 - The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 232 The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 3/3</h4>

    Zi You could see the Dali Court Justice¡¯s panic, so she slowly reminded, ¡°Ye daren, you can¡¯t hide this matter.¡±

    This matter really couldn¡¯t be hidden. She could make these three people confess everything in their hearts like beans spilling out of a bamboo tube without him using any torture. So, would she be afraid that he wouldn¡¯t tell the truth? This National Guardian wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. She was a goddess. A goddess!

    Ye daren didn¡¯t dare to hide this and quickly sent the three people¡¯s confessions to Xuanwu Emperor. Xuanwu Emperor was furious! There was actually someone even more obscene than him? If the news that a dignified prominent family was actually a den of iniquity was spread out, his reputation, his father¡¯s reputation, and his father¡¯s father¡¯s reputation would be lost!

    Xuanwu Emperor gnashed his teeth in anger and scolded, ¡°Do they have any shame? Do they have any shame? Listen to Zhen¡¯s decree: Wang Youli, his Bai Yiniang, second daughter, fifth daughter and eighth daughter are immoral and deceived government officials. Wang Youli and his son Wang Shengmin are punished with peeling. Nee Bai and her daughters are punished with riding a wooden donkey.¡±

    These two punishments were extremely cruel. A peeling was when flesh was first cut from the spine. The skin would be sliced from the muscles on the back and slowly separated on either side like a butterfly.

    There was another peeling method with doubtful credibility. The method was to first bury the person in the ground and leave only a head sticking out. A cross would be cut on top of the head. After the scalp was pulled open, silver would be poured in. Because silver was heavier than blood, it would pull the muscles and skin open. The person would writhe in pain, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to break free. Finally, he would jump out and leave his skin behind in the soil.

    The skin would be made into a two-sided drum and hung in front of a yamen to deter criminals. Peeling used to be done after death. Now, there was live peeling. Wang Youli and Wang Shengmin were going to be peeled alive.

    Riding a wooden donkey: It was a torture specifically used to punish women who conspired with adulterers to murder their husbands. First, a column would be carved out of wood. The woman would be hung on top of the wooden column. The wooden column would enter her ***. The woman would be dropped and the wooden column would continue poking upwards until it pierced through her mouth and nose.

    They were also paraded through the streets. The citizens¡¯ rotten vegetables and eggs and dirty sewagended all over them.

    Zi You and Shui YouLian went to look. Shui YouLian took a ruler and pped Wang Yiping dozens of times with it. She cried out, ¡°Hui¡¯er, I avenged you......¡±

    Before the execution, Zi You leaned over to whisper in Wang Yiping¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you know why I hate you? It¡¯s because I knew all along that you¡¯re a hypocritical and vicious slut! No matter how you pretend and how you scheme, I won¡¯t believe you. I also want to tell you a secret. I sent someone to shave your hair.¡±

    Wang Yiping looked at Zi You like she was looking at a ghost.

    In Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin¡¯s case, the angriest one was Yu Lanxuan¡¯s father: internal cab minister Yu daren. He was fined with his sry for a year. Now, his concubine was revealed to have lost her virginity before their marriage and had deceived him. His reputation waspletely lost.

    He was so angry that he directly fainted away.

    The most unlucky person was Yu Lanxuan. She was already beaten bloody. Her injuries hadn¡¯t healed yet when her biological mother was arrested and executed in public.

 Chapter 233.1 - Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chenâ€™s Miserable Days

    <h4>Chapter 233 Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chen¡¯s Miserable Days</h4>

    In addition, Yu Lanxuan and Zhao HongXiang¡¯s premarital affair was exposed. After thinking about it, whether it was Yu daren, Nee Chen, or Zhao HongXiang, they all felt that their reputations were lost.

    Every day, someone would go into Yu Lanxuan¡¯s Lanxiang Courtyard to scold her. Even Yu daren, who had always doted on her, was instigated by his wife Nee Lu to scold Yu Lanxuan. ¡°My life has been ruined by you and your yiniang! It¡¯s really like mother, like daughter. You¡¯re both so shameless. Why are you still alive? If I were you, I¡¯ll just kill myself!¡±

    Nee Lu was also filled with hatred. Her Meilian lost her reputation and couldn¡¯t marry anyone. So, how could she be willing to let Yu Lanxuan marry well?

    After Yu Meilian was reprimanded by the Emperor, she had left the social circles. Yu Lanxuan had relied on the fact that she was in the Empress¡¯ camp to be arrogant in the fu and bully Nee Lu and Yu Meilian.

    So, Nee Lu immediately went over to help him. ¡°Shameless. Shameless. She doesn¡¯t even want her reputation, so what else would she care about? She¡¯s still waiting for Duke Yongnan fu to send a big sedan chair with eight sedan bearers to bring her over and be a mistress of the household. Bah! She¡¯s really shameless to the extreme.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan tasted the feeling of being worse off than dead after being scolded like this all day. So, she sent a letter to Zhao HongXiang to tell him to hurry up and marry her. She couldn¡¯t survive in her maiden family any longer.

    When Zhao HongXiang received the letter, he tore it into pieces. He lied in bed and scolded, ¡°Go to Hell! She wants me to marry her? I don¡¯t want such a shameless person as my wife.¡±

    After he thought about it, it was all her fault. She constantly talked about how bad You meimei was. In the end, such a good marriage was ruined.

    The more he thought, the angrier he was. He immediately told a servant to call his mother Nee Chen over.

    Her son had ignored her for a long time now. But now he asked someone to tell her to go over. Could it be that he had forgiven her? Nee Chen was happy and went over to Zhao HongXiang¡¯s courtyard.

    She took one look and became ufortable. Her son¡¯s courtyard was very deste. There were even a lot less servants. Since the Emperor had stripped her of her first-rank furen title, Duke Yongnan had let Nee Lu be in charge of the household and stripped Nee Chen of her household management rights.

    Nee Chen didn¡¯t think this Nee Lu had gone so overboard. She was so harsh to her son. She didn¡¯t even clean up his courtyard. There were leaves everywhere. It felt sad and deste with one nce.

    ¡°Xiang¡¯er.¡± Nee Chen called out her sons¡¯s name and walked inside. ¡°That Second Yiniang is such a b*stard! She¡¯s actually so harsh......¡±

    Before she finished speaking, she was hit on the head by a porcin pillow that Zhao HongXiang had thrown at her. She shouted in pain and then felt a stream of blood flowing down her face......

    Nee Chen touched it. She immediately cried out, ¡°I¡¯m bleeding. I¡¯m bleeding......¡±

    ¡°You deserve it!¡± Zhao HongXiang turned his head with difficulty and cursed. ¡°You should use your life to atone for your sins. If it¡¯s not because of you, You meimei wouldn¡¯t have dissolved the engagement with me and I wouldn¡¯t have been beaten or lost my Shizi title. It¡¯s all your fault, you idiot. Get out of here! Scram......¡±

    Nee Chen never expected that her son would be so ruthless. She was dumbfounded at first. When Zhao HongXiang threw a medicine bowl over, Nee Chen covered her face. Tears and blood flowed as she ran out.

 Chapter 233.2 - Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chenâ€™s Miserable Days Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 233.2 Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chen¡¯s Miserable Days Part 2/3</h4>

    But this matter wasn¡¯t over. Duke Yongnan was already severely ill. Zi You had proposed to dissolve the engagement with his son in front of all the officials and the Emperor. It was already enough for him to be angry over his son losing his Shizi title. Now, his future daughter-inw was not only immoral and depraved, but her biological mother was such an obscene thing. If his Duke fu really had such a shameless daughter-inw, wouldn¡¯t they all be scolded to death?

    He couldn¡¯t resent anyone except for his short-sighted wife Nee Chen and his lecherous son. Neither one of them were good people!

    Duke Yongnan was furious. He clung to hisst breath and got up from the sickbed. A person who was supposed to have died became alive out of anger.

    Zi You sighed. It seemed that after all of her efforts, everything was really different from her previous life.

    But it was good that Duke Yongnan wasn¡¯t dead. She wanted Nee Chen, Zhao HongXiang, and Yu Lanxuan to live a life worse than death!

    However, it was as she had guessed. Because without her making a move, Nee Chen was experiencing a life worse than death. Duke Yongnan divorced her and demoted her from being his main wife to a servant.

    No one stood up for her and sought justice for when she was demoted to a servant. Her parents were dead and her powerful brother, the Minister of Appointments, was executed. The Minister fu was searched and all the possessions were confiscated. She didn¡¯t have a maiden family to rely on and her son hated her. So, what could she do?

    Thus, her miserable and unlucky life began.

    She wasn¡¯t some kind person to begin with. She had treated Duke Yongnan¡¯s concubines and Shu children harshly and viciously. Even the servants secretly scolded their Furen for being ruthless.

    Think about how people would treat her now that she was a servant. The dirtiest and most tiring work in the fu was given to her. Not only that, but she was frequently beaten, scolded, and starved.

    These were the methods that she used to punish servants with before. Now, she was experiencing the retribution.

    And Duke Yongnan went to the Emperor to ask him to take back his decree to marry Yu Lanxuan to Zhao HongXiang.

    Shuiling told Zi You: ¡°Duke Yongnan cried with tears all over his face and begged the Emperor. ¡®Emperor, it¡¯s shameful even if Chen¡¯s son takes her as a concubine, not to mention marrying her as his main wife? With her character and maiden family, Chen will beughed at by others until death!

    ¡°Duke Yongnan was too excited and even said the taboo word ¡®death¡¯ in the Pce. But the Emperor didn¡¯t even need me to fan the mes and scolded angrily, ¡®Your son is shameful enough. What kind of girl do you expect him to marry? The word ¡®ungrateful¡¯ refers to him. The National Guardian slighted herself and got engaged to him just to save him. But what about your son? He repays her by having an affair with another woman.

    ¡°¡®She just came back, but that Yu Lanxuan went to show off in front of her. How unvirtuous can you be? Zhen doesn¡¯t allow it. Your son has to marry her as his main wife!¡¯

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, Master, but that old man Duke Yongnan¡¯s face turned as ck as the bottom of a pot. Haha......¡±

    Zi You sneered to herself. Xuanwu Emperor was bent on currying favor with her, but so what? Xuanwu Emperor was responsible for more than 4,000 soldiers losing their lives and the assassination attempts on her grandfather and uncle. If she hadn¡¯t arrived in time, her rtives would have been killed because of him.

    Besides, there were LingRan¡¯s injuries. How could these grudges not be avenged? Could it be that he harmed someone, give someone two sweet dates in return, and the matter was over? Don¡¯t even think about it.

 Chapter 229.1 - The Spirit Obtains the Emperorâ€™s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 229 The Spirit Obtains the Emperor¡¯s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 1/3</h4>

    Sure enough, one Shuiling made Xuanwu Emperor immediately trust her. Then the following would be easy to do.

    Zi You pretended to ponder for a moment and then reminded, ¡°Emperor, Darong Ka¡¯s demon snake is poisonous. Judging from your appearance, you must have been harmed by it. You should listen to Shuiling. She knows medicine and can nurture your body. As for the imperial doctors, you should be on guard against them. Chen doesn¡¯t know if they have bad intentions. Emperor shouldn¡¯t forget about the Imperial Doctor Qin who was controlled by Darong Ka.¡±

    The Emperor was nervous as soon as he heard her. ¡°What? Darong Ka is dead, but he can still control people?¡±

    Zi You deliberately nodded solemnly. ¡°He left a Devil Ring behind. Whoever has the Devil Ring can control people. You should be careful, Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Devil Ring?¡± The Emperor widened his eyes in shock. ¡°What does it look like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s made of ck gold. There¡¯s a spell on it.¡± Zi You replied, ¡°Chen never saw what it looks like. However, since Darong Ka is dead, the Devil Ring will warn its owner and emit a red light. That red light can¡¯t be hidden. As long as you send someone to search for it, you should be able to find it, Emperor. At least, you should search for it in the Pce right now. We can¡¯t let it hurt you, the Empress, the Empress Dowager, or the other consorts.¡±

    ¡°Zhen understands.¡± The Emperor was scared and immediately waved to Eunuch Yu. ¡°Pass the decree and carefully search for the Devil Ring. Make sure it¡¯s found.¡±

    Zi You smiled. Empress, I want to see how you¡¯re getting out of this one. You wouldn¡¯t think that the Devil Ring that helped you would eventually send you to the guillotine, right?

    Zi You said to Eunuch Yu, ¡°Eunuch Yu, tell the guards it¡¯s best to act at night. When there¡¯s no light at night, the ce where the Devil Ring is hidden is wherever a red light is emitting.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Eunuch Yu didn¡¯t dare to dy and immediately took his leave.

    Zi You saw how Xuanwu Emperor didn¡¯t look displeased, so she knew his vignce towards her had decreased. She said, ¡°Emperor, Shuiling can transform into anyone and anything, but she needs your instructions. Other than you, no one else canmand her. So, if you need her, you can keep her around you at all times. She can be a pce maid or an object around you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Xuanwu Emperor was shocked. He did indeed want to keep Shuiling around him, so that he didn¡¯t need to wish for morning court to end so he coulde back to her.

    Zi You smiled and nodded. ¡°You can recite the spell and summon her here.¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor instantly recited the spell. As Zi You said, once he finished the spell, Shuiling appeared in front of him. ¡°Master, Shuiling is at yourmand.¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor went over and tenderly held Shuiling¡¯s hand. He smiled nauseatingly and said, ¡°Zhen doesn¡¯t want to leave you. Transform into a ce maid and keep Zhenpany.¡±

    Shuiling smiled a smile that could confuse all living beings. Her body twirled and she transformed into a pce maid.

    Xuanwu Emperor was stupefied and grinned happily. He didn¡¯t even know when Zi You left.

    Zi You was very happy. Xuanwu Emperor was no longer targeting her and he trusted her more than he used to now. She could finally concentrate on dealing with other people.

    She would deal with them one by one. Now, she was going to deal with Wang Yiping. Zi You and Shangguan LingRan went to Hundred Herb Garden.

 Chapter 229.2

    <h4>Chapter 229 The Spirit Obtains the Emperor¡¯s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 2/3</h4>

    Wang Yiping was fed pills that made herpletely lose her strength. So, even if she wanted to die, she couldn¡¯t die.

    Moreover, Weishali was in front of her and constantly spat at her. She was so scared that she was covered in cold sweat. She didn¡¯t dare to move at all.

    She finally understood what happened when she and Wang Shengmin were bitten that night. Needless to say, it must have been this cobra in front of her.

    So, it turned out that the darned Mu Zi You had already started to target her at that time. It was so hateful that she didn¡¯t know about it.

    Thus, as soon as Zi You and Shangguan LingRan came in, Wang Yiping askedboriously, ¡°That time, when I was...... bitten by a snake, did you...... do it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zi You smiled enchantingly. ¡°You can taste the feeling of being suspected of infidelity too.¡±

    ¡°Too?¡± Wang Yiping looked viciously at Zi You and asked, ¡°When did I make people suspect you of infidelity?¡±

    Zi You went over and pped her hard. ¡°When? Thest time in the Pce, you wanted Shangguan Lingluo to give me an aphrodisiac to attract that b*stard Zhao HongXiang and ruin my reputation. If I didn¡¯t discover it, I would have been ruined by you.

    ¡°You think just because I found out the truth and didn¡¯t let it happen, you can pretend that it didn¡¯t happen? Slut! I know everything that you¡¯ve done. I thought being beaten with military rods thirty times would cripple you and make you honest. But you didn¡¯t repent and even colluded with the Empress and Darong Ka to kill my loved ones and seize my grandfather¡¯s property.

    ¡°Wang Yiping, I won¡¯t let you die so easily. I want you live a life worse than death!¡±

    Wang Yiping¡¯s face turned white. She looked incredulously at Zi You. She shook her head repeatedly. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me. I¡¯m your stepmother. People will scold you for being unfilial.¡±

    ¡°Unfilial?¡± Zi You burst out intoughter. ¡°When all your wicked deeds are announced to the public, I want to see if people will scold me for being unfilial or you for being unvirtuous. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make you the most infamous person in the capital very soon.

    ¡°You still have about ten days left until you give birth. When you give birth to a deformed baby, I¡¯ll see you in the yamen. Do you think spreading false rumors about how wicked me and my grandfather are will cover up the truth? Keep dreaming!

    ¡°I not only have the living witness Liu Yanhong who can prove your dirty deeds in your maiden family. I also have the dowry list that Duke Yingguo gave you when you married. You know very well how much of the things in the storeroom are from you misappropriating funds from managing the household.¡±

    Actually, the rumors Wang Yiping spread didn¡¯t have any effect.

    That was because on the second day when Zi You came back, she had gone to the free medical clinic to treat patients. Everyone was very impressed with her medical ethics and medical skills.

    She had also posted a ¡°Won¡¯t Treat¡± list in front of the medical clinic. First, she wouldn¡¯t treat tyrants or corrupt officials who preyed on the people. Second, she wouldn¡¯t treat non-emergencies or anything not severe. Third, she wouldn¡¯t treat anyone who send gifts to form rtions with her and weren¡¯t really there to see a doctor.

    Finally, she had written: ¡°Don¡¯t lie to yourself. You know, I know, and the heavens know what kind of person you are.¡±

 Chapter 229.3 - The Spirit Obtains the Emperorâ€™s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 229 The Spirit Obtains the Emperor¡¯s Favor, Zi You Punishes the Wicked Part 3/3</h4>

    As a result, the Minister of Appointments¡¯ son, Chen Changsheng, had bought a number and came to treat his syphilis.

    Zi You had instantly said to him, ¡°Your disease can¡¯t be cured. I can¡¯t go against the heavens. The heavens want to punish you, so how can I save you?¡±

    She had firmly denied him treatment. He wasn¡¯t only Duke Yongnan furen¡¯s nephew, but he was a true tyrant. He was different from the Four Tyrants in the capital. The Four Tyrants were led by Shangguan LingRan and weren¡¯t really wicked. They were just dissolute and frivolous on the surface.

    They often lingered in brothels, but they were actually Shangguan LingRan¡¯s good friends. They had the same goal, so they had to hide their true natures. And they targeted vicious officials and not themon citizens unlike Chen Changsheng.

    Chen Changsheng had relied on him being on Taizi¡¯s side and ruined a lot of girls. But he still pretended to be a righteous gentleman. He was the same kind of person as his cousin Zhao HongXiang.

    Chen Changsheng was a second-rank guard in the Pce and harmed a lot of people for the Empress and Taizi. Zi You certainly would not treat him.

    Originally, Chen Changsheng had disguised his true nature very well. So, when Zi You refused to treat him, he had shouted. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you treating me? What three ¡®won¡¯t treats?¡¯ I didn¡¯t vite any of those rules. I¡¯m a good person, so why aren¡¯t you treating me?¡±

    Before Zi You could expose his evil deeds, a woman jumped out and scolded, ¡°You animal! You cause my daughter¡¯s death. If you¡¯re a good person, then all the good people in the world are dead!¡±

    There were more than a 1,000 people lining up. They immediately gathered around and asked each other what was going on.

    The woman had cried out, ¡°My family has a small embroidery shop in the vige. My daughter was very pretty. When she went to deliver the embroidered goods to the Minister of Appointments fu, she caught this animal¡¯s eye. He wanted to marry her as his Fifth Yiniang. But not even three months after she married, she miscarried and died. The truth is that my daughter didn¡¯t have a natural miscarriage. It¡¯s this animal and his wife who harmed her. They¡¯re both wicked people!¡±

    Chen Changsheng had quibbled, ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense. You sold your daughter for glory. Your daughter had a short life. What does that have to do with me and my wife? If you keep speaking nonsense, I¡¯ll send you to the yamen.¡±

    Zi You had instantly sneered and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid the Fifth Yiniang who died because of you will seek revenge? Remember. Persisting in evil deeds will bring about your self-destruction.¡±

    Chen Changsheng had cursed and swore as he left. The woman had knelt to Zi You and thanked her for speaking up.

    Originally, this matter would have passed just like this. But three dayster, Chen Changsheng and his wife died. They were supposedly scared to death by ghosts. And his father, Minister of Appointments Chen Yonghao, was censured by the imperial censors for corruption. Xuanwu Emperor had given orders to arrest and imprison him.

    As a result, Zi You¡¯s fame increased. It was said that when someone met a viin, he would immediately say, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid the National Guardian will stand up for justice ande to look for you?¡±

    The Minister of Appointments undoubtedly belonged on the Taizi and the Empress¡¯ side. Zi You would start with him. Then she would start with the other important ministers and pull out all of Taizi and the Empress¡¯ forces.

    Moreover, once he died, Nee Chen wouldn¡¯t have any support anymore. Without Zi You doing anything, Duke Yongnan would certainly deal with Nee Chen.

    Minister Chen didn¡¯t leave a ledger behind. Zi You fabricated a ledger ording to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s knowledge and ced it in fifth-rank Imperial Censor Li Zheng¡¯s study.

    Li Zheng scored second ce inst year¡¯s pce examination. He had a humble background and no foundation in the capital. But he was very honest and trusted by Xuanwu Emperor. It was the most appropriate for him to expose Minister Chen¡¯s crimes.

 Chapter 231.1 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3</h4>

    Who knew who the real master was of such a shrewd servant? Zi You didn¡¯t say anything and just sent a small spirit mouse to monitor her.

    After the midwife and female official came, Wang Yiping was sent back to Yiping Ju, but all of her previous servants were changed. Her three or four confidants were captured by Zi You, and fed the Worriless Pill, and sold by Nee Liu.

    Yueluo was also imprisoned in Hundred Herb Garden and Yang Qingjun died.

    Speaking of which, he was really infatuated. But since he was infatuated with a woman like Wang Yiping, he was doomed to end up in tragedy.

    When Wang Yiping was imprisoned by Zi You in Hundred Herb Garden, he actually wanted to save her and elope with her.

    Zi You had heard it from the spirit mice that someone was trying to break into the array. Zi You had opened the array and let him in.

    So, the adulterer had smoothly met up with Wang Yiping. He saw his lover and hugged her. He cried out, ¡°Ping¡¯er, how did this happen? That cheap little wench Mu Zi You! You¡¯re her stepmother. How dare she do this to you? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m taking you and leaving. I saved some money over the years. It¡¯s enough for us to live the rest of our lives. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t slight you and our child.¡±

    Wang Yiping had told him. ¡°Qingjun, I¡¯m pregnant with our child.¡±

    So, this fool still thought that Wang Yiping¡¯s child was his.

    Wang Yiping saw that it was Yang Qingjun who came to save her. Although she had never loved him and had been constantly using him, at this moment, she was like a drowining person clutching onto a lifesaving straw.

    Even if she didn¡¯t have any strength, she still exhausted all of her energy to move her hands and gasped, ¡°Okay. I...... didn¡¯t choose wrong....... Take me away...... I¡¯m willing...... to be your woman.¡±

    The two of them didn¡¯t expect that Zi You had known about what Yang Qingjun was doing, so she brought Mu YingRui over to watch his most trusted confidant and his beloved wife staging this ¡°love and death¡± y.

    Mu YingRui was so angry that he almost spat out blood. Zi You could even hear Mu YingRui gnashing his teeth. But Zi You was afraid that she hadn¡¯t angered him enough, so she whispered into his ear, ¡°Do you know when they had an affair? It was when you and Liu Yanhong were discussing how to frame me. Do you think this is retribution?¡±

    Mu YingRui looked incredulously at Zi You. He saw intense hatred in her cold eyes. He was not only shocked, but he was angry as he asked, ¡°I¡¯m your father! How can you do this to me?¡±

    ¡°Father?¡± Zi You constantly sneered. ¡°You also remember that you¡¯re my father. When your little wife was going to poison me, did you ever think that you¡¯re my father? When you and your little wife conspired to scheme against and punish me, did you ever think that you¡¯re my father?

    ¡°Other people¡¯s fathers dote and pamper their daughters and shield their daughters from the wind and rain. Let me ask you. What have you done for me? Let me tell you. Other than you harming me, it¡¯s still you still harming me!

    ¡°I¡¯m human too. I also have feelings. When you harmed me again and again, have you ever thought about whether I can bear it? When you look at these two people, it hurts, right? But have you ever thought about how much pain I would be in when you hurt me again and again?¡±

    Zi You finally roared. Yes...... How could it not hurt? This was the father who gave her life. His blood flowed in her body. He was a close rtive of hers, but......

 Chapter 231.2 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 2/3</h4>

    ¡°Someone,e.¡± Zi You suppressed her anger and said to Xie Yunfeng and Rong Yunhe. ¡°Take him to see Yang Qingjun and Wang Yiping.¡±

    Mu YingRui was brought over to Wang Yiping and Yang Qingjun. Before he had time to question Yang Qingjun, Yang Qingjun rushed over like he was crazy. He ruthlessly kicked Mu YingRui¡¯s stomach. ¡°You animal! I¡¯m going to kick you to death. Furen is so nice. How can you treat her like this?¡±

    Yang Qingjun was a martial artist. His kick made Mu YingRui feel so much pain that it seemed as if his internal organs had shifted positions.

    After a while, he held back his pain and cursed, ¡°You cheap ve! I treat you so well. Why did you betray me?¡±

    ¡°Treat me well?¡± Yang Qingjunughed out loud. ¡°You treat me like a dog and shout at and order me around. And you think you treat me well? Only Furen treats me like a human being. Do you understand? She loves me, this cheap ve, and not you, a Laoye!¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± Mu YingRuiughed mockingly. ¡°She loves you? How could she love you? She only loves herself. You¡¯ve been deceived by her. I¡¯ve been deceived by her. All of use have been deceived by her! Do you know who is the father of the child in her stomach? It¡¯s her brother. They ***. Haha......¡±

    ¡°No. No. No!¡± Yang Qingjun seemed to sincerely love Wang Yiping. He heard what Mu YingRui said and looked incredulously at Wang Yiping. He rushed over to her and shook her. ¡°Tell me he¡¯s lying to me. He¡¯s lying to me.¡±

    When Wang Yiping saw Mu YingRuie inside, she knew that she and Yang Qingjun wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Otherwise, Mu YingRui would never have appeared here.

    She remembered that while Zi You wasn¡¯t here these past two years, Darong Ka had tried many ways to try to break into Hundred Herb Garden. He was unsessful and even became injured three or four times.

    Yang Qingjun was obviously not as powerful as Darong Ka, but he managed to break in. There was only one exnation. Mu Zi You deliberately let hime in.

    Mu Zi You was punishing Mu YingRui and letting him experience the feeling of being betrayed by his confidant subordinate and his wife.

    She also wanted those men who had been deceived by Wang Yiping to open their eyes and see what kind of person she really was.

    This girl was too vicious! Wang Yiping¡¯s heart sunk. Her body also copsed.

    She didn¡¯t dare to lie because Zi You had said, ¡°You better not lie from now on. Otherwise, if you lie once, I will torture you in a way that no one has ever heard of before. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can give it a try.¡±

    She believed it. She fully believed that Zi You wasn¡¯t intimidating her. It was the absolute truth.

    So, she could only shout at Yang Qingjun, ¡°Leave. I¡¯ve never loved you. The baby isn¡¯t yours. I only love myself. I don¡¯t love anyone else.You¡¯re just a tool that I was using.¡±

    ¡°No......¡± Yang Qingjun roared. His gaze was crazy and chaotic as he looked at Wang Yiping.

 Chapter 231.3 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 3/3</h4>

    Yang Wingjun was thirty-four years old this year. He had been with Mu YingRui for twelve years, but he didn¡¯t have a wife.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to start a family, but Mu YingRui didn¡¯t let him get married. ¡°You can¡¯t start a family or have children. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have other concerns and won¡¯t be able to wholeheartedly protect me and work for me.¡±

    He was thirty-four years old, but he didn¡¯t even have a son. There were three filial impieties and not having a descendant was the worse. How was he going to meet his parents in the underworld? So, when he had been with Wang Yiping, he had changed from like, carnal desire, ***, and then finally love.

    But now, the woman he loved told him that she treated him only like a tool she used. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous!

    For a period of time, he had pitied Mu YingRui for having good looks, power, and status, but he didn¡¯t have what a guard like him had. He didn¡¯t expect that he and Mu YingRui ended up in the same situation.

    He betrayed his master today. Even if Mu YingRui didn¡¯t kill him, Old General Mu and Zi You wouldn¡¯t let him off.

    Theughable thing was that he thought he had broken into Hundred Herb Garden, but someone actually let him in. The purpose was to let him see Wang Yiping¡¯s true nature.

    He saw it clearly and his heart was dead now! Yang Qingjun raised his palm and pressed it over his head. He used up all of his strength and mmed down.

    A ¡°bang¡± sounded and red and white brain matter sprayed all over Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui

    They screamed in fear, but Yang Qingjun had already copsed. His head was shattered. His eyes were wide open and he died with grievances!

    Mu YingRui was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. He covered his head and ran out regardless of everything. He spun around like a housefly as he ran out of Hundred Herb Garden.

    Zi You¡¯s words kept echoing in his ears. ¡°You are destined to be utterly isted by everyone. You are destined to be isted by everyone......¡±

    As such, Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t attend Zi You¡¯s wedding. On December 21, three days before Zi You¡¯s wedding, he was dismissed from his post for courruption and bribery of higher-ranked officials. He was sentenced to exile in Nanjiang and was never allowed to return to the capital again.

    The sad thing was that from his imprisonment to his exile, only Shui Yiniang came to see him out of all of his concubines. She didn¡¯t go to express her heartfelt feelings, but she went there to scold and hit him. ¡°You b*stard! You¡¯re not even as good as an animal! Hui¡¯er was your son. Your son! How could you do it? Ah! You¡¯ll die a horrible death. I curse you to die a horrible death!¡±

    Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang had children. Zi You gave them each 2,000 silvers. She told them, ¡°Father is like this right now. If you¡¯re willing to follow him in exile, I won¡¯t stop you. If you¡¯re not willing, take this money. Oh, you can also take the things in your rooms. Go seek out a new life. Remember! Don¡¯t be someone else¡¯s concubine. Find a man who will treat you wholeheartedly and raise your children well.¡±

    The two happily packed up their things and left. The furnishings in their rooms, the money they had saved over the years, and the money Xiaojie gave to them were enough for them to live a good life.

    After Third Yiniang received the money, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all and discussed with Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang about opening an embroidery shop together.

    But Shui YouLian insisted on staying. ¡°Xiaojie, my life is yours. It¡¯s better without Laoye now. Let me be your servant. Please don¡¯t drive me away......¡±

 Chapter 231.1 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3</h4>

    Who knew who the real master was of such a shrewd servant? Zi You didn¡¯t say anything and just sent a small spirit mouse to monitor her.

    After the midwife and female official came, Wang Yiping was sent back to Yiping Ju, but all of her previous servants were changed. Her three or four confidants were captured by Zi You, and fed the Worriless Pill, and sold by Nee Liu.

    Yueluo was also imprisoned in Hundred Herb Garden and Yang Qingjun died.

    Speaking of which, he was really infatuated. But since he was infatuated with a woman like Wang Yiping, he was doomed to end up in tragedy.

    When Wang Yiping was imprisoned by Zi You in Hundred Herb Garden, he actually wanted to save her and elope with her.

    Zi You had heard it from the spirit mice that someone was trying to break into the array. Zi You had opened the array and let him in.

    So, the adulterer had smoothly met up with Wang Yiping. He saw his lover and hugged her. He cried out, ¡°Ping¡¯er, how did this happen? That cheap little wench Mu Zi You! You¡¯re her stepmother. How dare she do this to you? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m taking you and leaving. I saved some money over the years. It¡¯s enough for us to live the rest of our lives. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t slight you and our child.¡±

    Wang Yiping had told him. ¡°Qingjun, I¡¯m pregnant with our child.¡±

    So, this fool still thought that Wang Yiping¡¯s child was his.

    Wang Yiping saw that it was Yang Qingjun who came to save her. Although she had never loved him and had been constantly using him, at this moment, she was like a drowining person clutching onto a lifesaving straw.

    Even if she didn¡¯t have any strength, she still exhausted all of her energy to move her hands and gasped, ¡°Okay. I...... didn¡¯t choose wrong....... Take me away...... I¡¯m willing...... to be your woman.¡±

    The two of them didn¡¯t expect that Zi You had known about what Yang Qingjun was doing, so she brought Mu YingRui over to watch his most trusted confidant and his beloved wife staging this ¡°love and death¡± y.

    Mu YingRui was so angry that he almost spat out blood. Zi You could even hear Mu YingRui gnashing his teeth. But Zi You was afraid that she hadn¡¯t angered him enough, so she whispered into his ear, ¡°Do you know when they had an affair? It was when you and Liu Yanhong were discussing how to frame me. Do you think this is retribution?¡±

    Mu YingRui looked incredulously at Zi You. He saw intense hatred in her cold eyes. He was not only shocked, but he was angry as he asked, ¡°I¡¯m your father! How can you do this to me?¡±

    ¡°Father?¡± Zi You constantly sneered. ¡°You also remember that you¡¯re my father. When your little wife was going to poison me, did you ever think that you¡¯re my father? When you and your little wife conspired to scheme against and punish me, did you ever think that you¡¯re my father?

    ¡°Other people¡¯s fathers dote and pamper their daughters and shield their daughters from the wind and rain. Let me ask you. What have you done for me? Let me tell you. Other than you harming me, it¡¯s still you still harming me!

    ¡°I¡¯m human too. I also have feelings. When you harmed me again and again, have you ever thought about whether I can bear it? When you look at these two people, it hurts, right? But have you ever thought about how much pain I would be in when you hurt me again and again?¡±

    Zi You finally roared. Yes...... How could it not hurt? This was the father who gave her life. His blood flowed in her body. He was a close rtive of hers, but......

 Chapter 231.2 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 2/3</h4>

    ¡°Someone,e.¡± Zi You suppressed her anger and said to Xie Yunfeng and Rong Yunhe. ¡°Take him to see Yang Qingjun and Wang Yiping.¡±

    Mu YingRui was brought over to Wang Yiping and Yang Qingjun. Before he had time to question Yang Qingjun, Yang Qingjun rushed over like he was crazy. He ruthlessly kicked Mu YingRui¡¯s stomach. ¡°You animal! I¡¯m going to kick you to death. Furen is so nice. How can you treat her like this?¡±

    Yang Qingjun was a martial artist. His kick made Mu YingRui feel so much pain that it seemed as if his internal organs had shifted positions.

    After a while, he held back his pain and cursed, ¡°You cheap ve! I treat you so well. Why did you betray me?¡±

    ¡°Treat me well?¡± Yang Qingjunughed out loud. ¡°You treat me like a dog and shout at and order me around. And you think you treat me well? Only Furen treats me like a human being. Do you understand? She loves me, this cheap ve, and not you, a Laoye!¡±

    ¡°Haha......¡± Mu YingRuiughed mockingly. ¡°She loves you? How could she love you? She only loves herself. You¡¯ve been deceived by her. I¡¯ve been deceived by her. All of use have been deceived by her! Do you know who is the father of the child in her stomach? It¡¯s her brother. They ***. Haha......¡±

    ¡°No. No. No!¡± Yang Qingjun seemed to sincerely love Wang Yiping. He heard what Mu YingRui said and looked incredulously at Wang Yiping. He rushed over to her and shook her. ¡°Tell me he¡¯s lying to me. He¡¯s lying to me.¡±

    When Wang Yiping saw Mu YingRuie inside, she knew that she and Yang Qingjun wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Otherwise, Mu YingRui would never have appeared here.

    She remembered that while Zi You wasn¡¯t here these past two years, Darong Ka had tried many ways to try to break into Hundred Herb Garden. He was unsessful and even became injured three or four times.

    Yang Qingjun was obviously not as powerful as Darong Ka, but he managed to break in. There was only one exnation. Mu Zi You deliberately let hime in.

    Mu Zi You was punishing Mu YingRui and letting him experience the feeling of being betrayed by his confidant subordinate and his wife.

    She also wanted those men who had been deceived by Wang Yiping to open their eyes and see what kind of person she really was.

    This girl was too vicious! Wang Yiping¡¯s heart sunk. Her body also copsed.

    She didn¡¯t dare to lie because Zi You had said, ¡°You better not lie from now on. Otherwise, if you lie once, I will torture you in a way that no one has ever heard of before. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can give it a try.¡±

    She believed it. She fully believed that Zi You wasn¡¯t intimidating her. It was the absolute truth.

    So, she could only shout at Yang Qingjun, ¡°Leave. I¡¯ve never loved you. The baby isn¡¯t yours. I only love myself. I don¡¯t love anyone else.You¡¯re just a tool that I was using.¡±

    ¡°No......¡± Yang Qingjun roared. His gaze was crazy and chaotic as he looked at Wang Yiping.

 Chapter 231.3 - Slag Father Is Utterly Isolated, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 231 g Father Is Utterly Isted, The Adulterer Dies With Grievances Part 3/3</h4>

    Yang Wingjun was thirty-four years old this year. He had been with Mu YingRui for twelve years, but he didn¡¯t have a wife.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to start a family, but Mu YingRui didn¡¯t let him get married. ¡°You can¡¯t start a family or have children. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have other concerns and won¡¯t be able to wholeheartedly protect me and work for me.¡±

    He was thirty-four years old, but he didn¡¯t even have a son. There were three filial impieties and not having a descendant was the worse. How was he going to meet his parents in the underworld? So, when he had been with Wang Yiping, he had changed from like, carnal desire, ***, and then finally love.

    But now, the woman he loved told him that she treated him only like a tool she used. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous!

    For a period of time, he had pitied Mu YingRui for having good looks, power, and status, but he didn¡¯t have what a guard like him had. He didn¡¯t expect that he and Mu YingRui ended up in the same situation.

    He betrayed his master today. Even if Mu YingRui didn¡¯t kill him, Old General Mu and Zi You wouldn¡¯t let him off.

    Theughable thing was that he thought he had broken into Hundred Herb Garden, but someone actually let him in. The purpose was to let him see Wang Yiping¡¯s true nature.

    He saw it clearly and his heart was dead now! Yang Qingjun raised his palm and pressed it over his head. He used up all of his strength and mmed down.

    A ¡°bang¡± sounded and red and white brain matter sprayed all over Wang Yiping and Mu YingRui

    They screamed in fear, but Yang Qingjun had already copsed. His head was shattered. His eyes were wide open and he died with grievances!

    Mu YingRui was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. He covered his head and ran out regardless of everything. He spun around like a housefly as he ran out of Hundred Herb Garden.

    Zi You¡¯s words kept echoing in his ears. ¡°You are destined to be utterly isted by everyone. You are destined to be isted by everyone......¡±

    As such, Mu YingRui couldn¡¯t attend Zi You¡¯s wedding. On December 21, three days before Zi You¡¯s wedding, he was dismissed from his post for courruption and bribery of higher-ranked officials. He was sentenced to exile in Nanjiang and was never allowed to return to the capital again.

    The sad thing was that from his imprisonment to his exile, only Shui Yiniang came to see him out of all of his concubines. She didn¡¯t go to express her heartfelt feelings, but she went there to scold and hit him. ¡°You b*stard! You¡¯re not even as good as an animal! Hui¡¯er was your son. Your son! How could you do it? Ah! You¡¯ll die a horrible death. I curse you to die a horrible death!¡±

    Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang had children. Zi You gave them each 2,000 silvers. She told them, ¡°Father is like this right now. If you¡¯re willing to follow him in exile, I won¡¯t stop you. If you¡¯re not willing, take this money. Oh, you can also take the things in your rooms. Go seek out a new life. Remember! Don¡¯t be someone else¡¯s concubine. Find a man who will treat you wholeheartedly and raise your children well.¡±

    The two happily packed up their things and left. The furnishings in their rooms, the money they had saved over the years, and the money Xiaojie gave to them were enough for them to live a good life.

    After Third Yiniang received the money, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all and discussed with Second Yiniang and Fourth Yiniang about opening an embroidery shop together.

    But Shui YouLian insisted on staying. ¡°Xiaojie, my life is yours. It¡¯s better without Laoye now. Let me be your servant. Please don¡¯t drive me away......¡±

 Chapter 232.1 - The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 1/3

    <h4>Chapter 232 The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 1/3</h4>

    Zi You had no choice. She could only let Shui YouLian stay. She changed her name and sent her to Shangguan LingRan¡¯s embroidery vige as a supervisor.

    After Mu YingRui was exiled to Nanjiang, he was really regretful. He frequently looked in the direction of India. He remembered when he and Dier were married, when Dier left, and everything that he did to Zi You. He was tormented by remorse and couldn¡¯t sleep at night.

    Plus, he did physicalbor in mines. His body soon copsed and he died two yearster. He was only thirty-six years old.

    Old General Mu was there before he died. Mu YingRui had repented in front of him. ¡°Father, your son isn¡¯t filial. I¡¯ve let you down! I¡¯ve let Dier and You¡¯er down! I will atone for my sons with death......¡±

    Old General Mu¡¯s tiger eyes shed tears. He sent Mu YingRui to be buried next to his deceased wife. Of course, this was another story.

    Let¡¯s talk about Wang Yiping now. Her giving birth to a two-headed monster baby confirmed Zi You¡¯s statement about her child.

    Ever since then, Xuanwu Emperorpletely believed in Zi You¡¯s ability. While he was on guard against her, he still tried to desperately win her over and rewarded her. He also ordered the Dali Court, ¡°Investigate the case of Duke Yingguo fu practicing deception in the engagement. Once verified, all the perpetrators will be severely punished!¡±

    Then he gave orders to burn the still- living conjoined twins alive.

    Duke Yingguo furen and her two Di sons saw that things were bad and held a discussion. Duke Yingguo furen immediately brought up the topic of divorce. ¡°Old b*stard! You¡¯ve treated me badly your whole life. You drink and make merry all the time, neglect me, spoil the concubines, and don¡¯t treat me like a human.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re going to be punished. I¡¯m not a fool. Why would I suffer with you? My sons don¡¯t want to be implicated by you either. Sign the divorce papers. I want a divorce.¡±

    Would Duke Yingguo agree to a divorce? None of his Shu sons and daughters had any sesses. Other than his two Di sons being officials, the rest were ipetent. Otherwise, why would Duke Yingguo fu decline?

    The money in the fu had been firmly controlled by his eldest daughter-inw. If his wife really left him, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to eat.

    But it wasn¡¯t up to him whether he was going to sign the divorce papers or not. His two Di sons grabbed him. One grabbed his finger and pressed his fingerprint down on the divorce papers.

    Then the two grabbed Duke Yingguo and threw him out of the fu. They also shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te here again in the future. Otherwise, we¡¯ll beat you up every time we see you.¡±

    The unfortunate Duke Yingguo was kicked out the house likes this. But not only were people not sympathetic to him being kicked out of his own house by his sons, but everyone shouted and beat him like a mouse crossing the street.

    Why was that? It was because Wang Yiping, Wang Shengmin, and Bai Yiniang, confessed to the Dali Court about every conspiracy. Although Duke Yingguo wasn¡¯t the mastermind, everything stemmed from Duke Yingguo¡¯s obscenity and immorality.

 Chapter 232.2 - The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 232 The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 2/3</h4>

    Wang Shengmin exined: ¡°I like the **** excitement because when I was eleven, my second sister returned to her maiden family. My father had hugged her and shouted, ¡®My darling, your father missed you to death.¡¯ I thought my father was like that because he liked her. Who knew......

    ¡°Who knew my father would take off her clothing behind a rockery and tangle with her? At the time, I was still young so I asked my father and second sister what they were doing. My father took off my pants and pulled out my ¡®little bird¡¯ and asked me if I feltfortable.

    ¡°I said yes and my father pointed to my second sister and said, ¡®Do what I just did and you¡¯ll be morefortable.¡¯ That day, I experienced a taste that I had never experienced before. From then on, I started to look for women, but none was as exciting as my second sister.

    ¡°Later, my second sister didn¡¯te back very often, so I turned my attention to fifth sister and eighth sister. Bai Yiniang found out about me and my eighth sister and threatened me. Then I tangled with Bai Yiniang too.¡±

    Heavens! The Dali Court Justice was thunderstruck when he heard Wang Shengmin¡¯s confession. He was shocked into a mess.

    After he heard Bai Yiniang¡¯s confession, he scolded the family even more for being obscene and immoral.

    Bai Yiniang said, ¡°Laoye is different in that aspect. He likes stimtion. I wanted to gain his favor, so I had choice but to give my eldest daughter to him. She wanted to avoid him, so she could only seduce the Assistant Minister of Revenue at the time, Yu daren. Yu daren was drunk that day, so my eldest daughter pretended to be a maidservant and seduced him.

    ¡°Later, Laoye wanted my youngest daughter <strong>[Wang Yiping]</strong>, but my youngest daughter was already entangled with her fifth brother and despised her father. She had no choice but to use her sister¡¯s method and climbed onto First Mu Laoye¡¯s <strong>[Mu YingRui¡¯s]</strong> bed. That¡¯s what happened. I had no other choice. I was afraid of losing Laoye¡¯s favor and losing a way to survive in Duke Yingguo fu.¡±

    Finally, it was Wang Yiping¡¯s confession: ¡°I¡¯m also forced. I don¡¯t want to be like this, but what could I have done? My biological mother was an actress. She taught me how to seduce me, how topete for favor, how to scheme against people, and how to harm people since I was young.

    ¡°My Di mother is vicious and treated the yiniangs and Shu children harshly and ruthlessly. If we didn¡¯t have a n, we would be swallowed without leaving anything behind. That animal Wang Shengmin *** me. I told my yiniang. My yiniang not only didn¡¯t care, but she ckmailed him to have an affair with her.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t deceive Mu YingRui and became his wife, do you want me to end up like my fourth sister? Fourth sister didn¡¯t die from illness. She was forced tomit suicide by my father......¡±

    Finally, thest witness Liu Yanhong was sent to the Dali Court Justice by Zi You. She proved that Wang Yiping, Wang Shengmin, and Bai Yiniang were adulterers.

    The Dali Court Justice was shocked! He didn¡¯t understand how Wang Yiping and Darong Ka were tangled together.

    Darong Ka was rmended by Taizi to the Emperor. He was on Taizi¡¯s side. But why did someone on Taizi¡¯s side get involved with Wang Yiping?

    The Dali Court Justice looked up in fear at Zi You. He didn¡¯t want to join any Wangzi¡¯s camp. He was a neutral faction. He would be loyal to whoever became the Emperor in the future.

    But now, he discovered such a secret. What should he do? Taizi was secretly trying to win over a minister! Or why else would Darong Ka treat Wang Yiping¡¯s leg?

 Chapter 232.3 - The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 232 The Promiscuous Adulterers Are Dishonored and Punished Part 3/3</h4>

    Zi You could see the Dali Court Justice¡¯s panic, so she slowly reminded, ¡°Ye daren, you can¡¯t hide this matter.¡±

    This matter really couldn¡¯t be hidden. She could make these three people confess everything in their hearts like beans spilling out of a bamboo tube without him using any torture. So, would she be afraid that he wouldn¡¯t tell the truth? This National Guardian wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. She was a goddess. A goddess!

    Ye daren didn¡¯t dare to hide this and quickly sent the three people¡¯s confessions to Xuanwu Emperor. Xuanwu Emperor was furious! There was actually someone even more obscene than him? If the news that a dignified prominent family was actually a den of iniquity was spread out, his reputation, his father¡¯s reputation, and his father¡¯s father¡¯s reputation would be lost!

    Xuanwu Emperor gnashed his teeth in anger and scolded, ¡°Do they have any shame? Do they have any shame? Listen to Zhen¡¯s decree: Wang Youli, his Bai Yiniang, second daughter, fifth daughter and eighth daughter are immoral and deceived government officials. Wang Youli and his son Wang Shengmin are punished with peeling. Nee Bai and her daughters are punished with riding a wooden donkey.¡±

    These two punishments were extremely cruel. A peeling was when flesh was first cut from the spine. The skin would be sliced from the muscles on the back and slowly separated on either side like a butterfly.

    There was another peeling method with doubtful credibility. The method was to first bury the person in the ground and leave only a head sticking out. A cross would be cut on top of the head. After the scalp was pulled open, silver would be poured in. Because silver was heavier than blood, it would pull the muscles and skin open. The person would writhe in pain, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to break free. Finally, he would jump out and leave his skin behind in the soil.

    The skin would be made into a two-sided drum and hung in front of a yamen to deter criminals. Peeling used to be done after death. Now, there was live peeling. Wang Youli and Wang Shengmin were going to be peeled alive.

    Riding a wooden donkey: It was a torture specifically used to punish women who conspired with adulterers to murder their husbands. First, a column would be carved out of wood. The woman would be hung on top of the wooden column. The wooden column would enter her ***. The woman would be dropped and the wooden column would continue poking upwards until it pierced through her mouth and nose.

    They were also paraded through the streets. The citizens¡¯ rotten vegetables and eggs and dirty sewagended all over them.

    Zi You and Shui YouLian went to look. Shui YouLian took a ruler and pped Wang Yiping dozens of times with it. She cried out, ¡°Hui¡¯er, I avenged you......¡±

    Before the execution, Zi You leaned over to whisper in Wang Yiping¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you know why I hate you? It¡¯s because I knew all along that you¡¯re a hypocritical and vicious slut! No matter how you pretend and how you scheme, I won¡¯t believe you. I also want to tell you a secret. I sent someone to shave your hair.¡±

    Wang Yiping looked at Zi You like she was looking at a ghost.

    In Wang Yiping and Wang Shengmin¡¯s case, the angriest one was Yu Lanxuan¡¯s father: internal cab minister Yu daren. He was fined with his sry for a year. Now, his concubine was revealed to have lost her virginity before their marriage and had deceived him. His reputation waspletely lost.

    He was so angry that he directly fainted away.

    The most unlucky person was Yu Lanxuan. She was already beaten bloody. Her injuries hadn¡¯t healed yet when her biological mother was arrested and executed in public.

 Chapter 233.1 - Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chenâ€™s Miserable Days

    <h4>Chapter 233 Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chen¡¯s Miserable Days</h4>

    In addition, Yu Lanxuan and Zhao HongXiang¡¯s premarital affair was exposed. After thinking about it, whether it was Yu daren, Nee Chen, or Zhao HongXiang, they all felt that their reputations were lost.

    Every day, someone would go into Yu Lanxuan¡¯s Lanxiang Courtyard to scold her. Even Yu daren, who had always doted on her, was instigated by his wife Nee Lu to scold Yu Lanxuan. ¡°My life has been ruined by you and your yiniang! It¡¯s really like mother, like daughter. You¡¯re both so shameless. Why are you still alive? If I were you, I¡¯ll just kill myself!¡±

    Nee Lu was also filled with hatred. Her Meilian lost her reputation and couldn¡¯t marry anyone. So, how could she be willing to let Yu Lanxuan marry well?

    After Yu Meilian was reprimanded by the Emperor, she had left the social circles. Yu Lanxuan had relied on the fact that she was in the Empress¡¯ camp to be arrogant in the fu and bully Nee Lu and Yu Meilian.

    So, Nee Lu immediately went over to help him. ¡°Shameless. Shameless. She doesn¡¯t even want her reputation, so what else would she care about? She¡¯s still waiting for Duke Yongnan fu to send a big sedan chair with eight sedan bearers to bring her over and be a mistress of the household. Bah! She¡¯s really shameless to the extreme.¡±

    Yu Lanxuan tasted the feeling of being worse off than dead after being scolded like this all day. So, she sent a letter to Zhao HongXiang to tell him to hurry up and marry her. She couldn¡¯t survive in her maiden family any longer.

    When Zhao HongXiang received the letter, he tore it into pieces. He lied in bed and scolded, ¡°Go to Hell! She wants me to marry her? I don¡¯t want such a shameless person as my wife.¡±

    After he thought about it, it was all her fault. She constantly talked about how bad You meimei was. In the end, such a good marriage was ruined.

    The more he thought, the angrier he was. He immediately told a servant to call his mother Nee Chen over.

    Her son had ignored her for a long time now. But now he asked someone to tell her to go over. Could it be that he had forgiven her? Nee Chen was happy and went over to Zhao HongXiang¡¯s courtyard.

    She took one look and became ufortable. Her son¡¯s courtyard was very deste. There were even a lot less servants. Since the Emperor had stripped her of her first-rank furen title, Duke Yongnan had let Nee Lu be in charge of the household and stripped Nee Chen of her household management rights.

    Nee Chen didn¡¯t think this Nee Lu had gone so overboard. She was so harsh to her son. She didn¡¯t even clean up his courtyard. There were leaves everywhere. It felt sad and deste with one nce.

    ¡°Xiang¡¯er.¡± Nee Chen called out her sons¡¯s name and walked inside. ¡°That Second Yiniang is such a b*stard! She¡¯s actually so harsh......¡±

    Before she finished speaking, she was hit on the head by a porcin pillow that Zhao HongXiang had thrown at her. She shouted in pain and then felt a stream of blood flowing down her face......

    Nee Chen touched it. She immediately cried out, ¡°I¡¯m bleeding. I¡¯m bleeding......¡±

    ¡°You deserve it!¡± Zhao HongXiang turned his head with difficulty and cursed. ¡°You should use your life to atone for your sins. If it¡¯s not because of you, You meimei wouldn¡¯t have dissolved the engagement with me and I wouldn¡¯t have been beaten or lost my Shizi title. It¡¯s all your fault, you idiot. Get out of here! Scram......¡±

    Nee Chen never expected that her son would be so ruthless. She was dumbfounded at first. When Zhao HongXiang threw a medicine bowl over, Nee Chen covered her face. Tears and blood flowed as she ran out.

 Chapter 233.2 - Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chenâ€™s Miserable Days Part 2/3

    <h4>Chapter 233.2 Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chen¡¯s Miserable Days Part 2/3</h4>

    But this matter wasn¡¯t over. Duke Yongnan was already severely ill. Zi You had proposed to dissolve the engagement with his son in front of all the officials and the Emperor. It was already enough for him to be angry over his son losing his Shizi title. Now, his future daughter-inw was not only immoral and depraved, but her biological mother was such an obscene thing. If his Duke fu really had such a shameless daughter-inw, wouldn¡¯t they all be scolded to death?

    He couldn¡¯t resent anyone except for his short-sighted wife Nee Chen and his lecherous son. Neither one of them were good people!

    Duke Yongnan was furious. He clung to hisst breath and got up from the sickbed. A person who was supposed to have died became alive out of anger.

    Zi You sighed. It seemed that after all of her efforts, everything was really different from her previous life.

    But it was good that Duke Yongnan wasn¡¯t dead. She wanted Nee Chen, Zhao HongXiang, and Yu Lanxuan to live a life worse than death!

    However, it was as she had guessed. Because without her making a move, Nee Chen was experiencing a life worse than death. Duke Yongnan divorced her and demoted her from being his main wife to a servant.

    No one stood up for her and sought justice for when she was demoted to a servant. Her parents were dead and her powerful brother, the Minister of Appointments, was executed. The Minister fu was searched and all the possessions were confiscated. She didn¡¯t have a maiden family to rely on and her son hated her. So, what could she do?

    Thus, her miserable and unlucky life began.

    She wasn¡¯t some kind person to begin with. She had treated Duke Yongnan¡¯s concubines and Shu children harshly and viciously. Even the servants secretly scolded their Furen for being ruthless.

    Think about how people would treat her now that she was a servant. The dirtiest and most tiring work in the fu was given to her. Not only that, but she was frequently beaten, scolded, and starved.

    These were the methods that she used to punish servants with before. Now, she was experiencing the retribution.

    And Duke Yongnan went to the Emperor to ask him to take back his decree to marry Yu Lanxuan to Zhao HongXiang.

    Shuiling told Zi You: ¡°Duke Yongnan cried with tears all over his face and begged the Emperor. ¡®Emperor, it¡¯s shameful even if Chen¡¯s son takes her as a concubine, not to mention marrying her as his main wife? With her character and maiden family, Chen will beughed at by others until death!

    ¡°Duke Yongnan was too excited and even said the taboo word ¡®death¡¯ in the Pce. But the Emperor didn¡¯t even need me to fan the mes and scolded angrily, ¡®Your son is shameful enough. What kind of girl do you expect him to marry? The word ¡®ungrateful¡¯ refers to him. The National Guardian slighted herself and got engaged to him just to save him. But what about your son? He repays her by having an affair with another woman.

    ¡°¡®She just came back, but that Yu Lanxuan went to show off in front of her. How unvirtuous can you be? Zhen doesn¡¯t allow it. Your son has to marry her as his main wife!¡¯

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, Master, but that old man Duke Yongnan¡¯s face turned as ck as the bottom of a pot. Haha......¡±

    Zi You sneered to herself. Xuanwu Emperor was bent on currying favor with her, but so what? Xuanwu Emperor was responsible for more than 4,000 soldiers losing their lives and the assassination attempts on her grandfather and uncle. If she hadn¡¯t arrived in time, her rtives would have been killed because of him.

    Besides, there were LingRan¡¯s injuries. How could these grudges not be avenged? Could it be that he harmed someone, give someone two sweet dates in return, and the matter was over? Don¡¯t even think about it.

 Chapter 233.3 - Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chenâ€™s Miserable Days Part 3/3

    <h4>Chapter 233.3 Yu Lanxuan and Nee Chen¡¯s Miserable Days Part 3/3</h4>

    First, she would deal with the Empress and Taizi. Then she would finally deal with the Emperor.

    Zi You immediately whispered to Shuiling.

    Shuiling nodded and revealed a slight flirtatious smile.

    So, that night, Shuiling didn¡¯t wear a bright red muslin dress. Instead, she wore arge-sleeved silk dress. It looked purple at first nce, but it was actually a thinyer of purple muslin lightly shrouded around the dress, which highlighted a beautiful figure.

    She was like a delicate purple rose with dew drops on it. She was an enchanting beauty in the cold moonlight.

    She stretched out her jade-like arm and wrapped it around Xuanwu Emperor¡¯s neck. She smiled coyly and asked, ¡°Do you want Shuiling to take you flying in the sky, Emperor?¡±

    Flying! Who didn¡¯t want to? If a fairy would take you flying, just thinking about it was as beautiful as a dream.

    Xuanwu Emperorughed like a child and pped his hands. He grinned happily as he said, ¡°Good, good, good. Zhen is happy anywhere with Shuiling around.¡±

    Shuiling wrapped an arm around Xuanwu Emperor¡¯s thick waist and jumped up. Her posture was like a volley of flying birds in the vast sky. She was beautiful to the extreme in the blowing breeze.

    Xuanwu Emperor squinted his eyes. His rarely emotional heart instantly turned soft.

    Shuiling was a flower fairy and really different from his previous women. She was gentle, but she exuded seductiveness from her bones. Her affectionate eyes could hook any man¡¯s heart. She was gorgeous, but she was aloof and could exude no charm whatsoever. She was just like her name.*** She was flexible, clever, and coquettish. She was particrly lovable.

    [Shuiling: Shui = water; Ling = lustrous / full of life]

    Such a lovable person not only cared about him, but she also helped him solve some of his political problems.

    For example, he had been troubled over Taizi¡¯s increasing growing forces a few days ago. Shuiling had immediatelye up with a n for him. ¡°Since you¡¯re worried that Third Wangzi¡¯s forces will grow too big, why don¡¯t you use Second Wangzi? Don¡¯t forget. Even if you give Second Wangzi even more power, he won¡¯t be disloyal to you. He can¡¯t be the Emperor.¡±

    That had instantly woken him up. It was really true. His second son was a waste. Even if he had more power, he couldn¡¯t ascend to the throne as the Emperor. In order to protect himself and his Mufei, he must wish that Xuanwu Emperor would live for thousands of years.

    Thus, this old man immediately added a deputymander position in the capital¡¯s imperial vanguard. He gave the position to someone Second Wangzi rmended topete with themander of the vanguard, who was from Taizi¡¯s camp.

    Mu YingYi was supposed to take over as the vanguards¡¯mander. But Mu YingYi had gone to Nanjiang to suppress the rebellion and Xuanwu Emperor had listened to Wu Jieyu and given this position to someone on Taizi¡¯s side.

    He really regretted it now that he thought about it! However, he didn¡¯t need to worry too much. Since the deputymander was from Second Wangzi¡¯s side, Xuanwu Emperor would find a reason sooner orter to get rid of themander.

    Xuanwu Emperor flew in the air, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to enjoy the beautiful night view. He was thinking nonstop.

    At this time, he heard Shuiling¡¯s charming voice in his ear. ¡°Eh? Emperor, there¡¯s a red light over there.¡±

    Xuanwu Emperor looked down and in the direction where Shuiling was pointing to. There was indeed a faint red light there. Wait. Wasn¡¯t that where the Empress¡¯ Fengming Pce was?